Pirates of the Caribbean: The Hunt for Atlantis
by QM2NerdfromOz
Summary: Anthony Turner and Julia Sparrow are best friends. Together with Cpt.Gray and Lanse, theyre training to become Pirate Cptns. They hear of an ancient lost city, but an unknown powerful enemy stands in their way. A tragic adventure full of seas, blood& love
1. Chapter 1

Elizabeth Swan, the latest pirate King from that year's brethren Court, waved goodbye with her son, Anthony Turner, to her husband as he vanished aboard the _Flying Dutchman_ in the green flash after the sun set. It had been a dreadful ten years waiting, and now he was gone again. But it didn't matter. They were married and loved each other so much, the question of being faithful was not even considered. Anthony had just turned 20, so this was the second time in his life he waved his father off. He was well on his way to becoming a Pirate Captain, but like Captain Jack Sparrow, found himself without a ship, for all the time he had been training.

"Mom I gotta get out more an' see if can't capture me self a ship to conquer tha seas,"

"Anthony, you will get a ship, just wait. When the time's right, it will happen." Elizabeth said.

"Gray already has his own ship, I feel like I'm nigh as good as he."

"Don't talk about yourself like that. You're a Turner, you should be proud. Never compare yourself to others, rather, compete with yourself, and always fight to be better than you are." She told me. I grunted, but I knew she was right. I just really wanted to start my own adventured. Dad was always out on the seas with the _Flying Dutchman_, why couldn't I be doing the same?

Throughout me training, I had come close to a few mateys. The first and so far thee oldest friend I had was called Lanse. He was me friend since the start of training, and we had become brethren ever since. He was about my height, the same age, and had a full dark brown beard and mustache. He had the same color o hair as me self but I had blond and red naturally weaved in. Always had his affects, boots, wide black belt, ruffled linen shirt, and a large old three-cornered brown hat with eagle's feathers. Me other friend who I had become close too was a recent development. He goes by the name of Cap'n Gray, and he already acquired himself a ship and a crew, taking a detour in Tortuga for said crew. He still be away across the sea, and I had grown weary of the land. He had a full head of dirty blonde hair, and was very thin but fit as well. He wore glasses, and I swear to Davy Jones' locker the moment he took them off he be a different person. There be another friend worth mentioning. She goes by the name of Julia Sparrow. She is the daughter of Pirate Captain and Lord Jack Sparrow, and Angelica, the late Captain Blackbeard's daughter. She was a clever sort, and had short light blonde hair, and wore long linen skirts over her pants that stopped at the tops of her boots, and she had a large belt, and the same sword that her father used. She wore a magnificent hat, circular, and with a peacock's feather. We had become friends through Pirate training her in Shipwreck Cove as well, but the start be different. Some scallywags and ruffians had followed her to the beech one day, abusing her verbally, making her out to be one of them low life women that sit at home each day, yes they were they proceeded by showing us how sexist they were by throwing sea shells at her when she was enjoying the waves at the dock. Anthony pulled his pistol out and stopped them.

"Make one more move and you're all dead men!" I warned.

"Defending your lassie are ya? HA HA HA! What a sight she be, wouldn't want to sleep with her if ya know what I mean!" The thug replied. I reached the bitter end and so drew me flintlock pistol and shot past his ear forcing the thugs to flee as the cowards they really were.

"Thank you, I would have handled it myself but, I left my sword at home and," She stopped, I offered my hand to help her up and she stood.

"No problem lassie. I call myself Anthony, and you be?" I asked.

"Julia, Julia Sparrow." She answered, and that was how it started. The four of us were a talented lot, each with his, or her, special ability. But with Gray already Captain of the _Caroline, _it seemed we for now were on our own.

Weeks past and training be almost finished, and still I had no ship. Then one day over dinner at the piers lookin out at the other Pirate Captain's ships, Julia offered me something. Something I nay could refuse. She explained that Captain jack had become too old now to man the ship himself but would rather die than see her in the hands of anyone "mean".

"Really? You could? Oh Julia that'd be perfect! Can you imagine? Captain Anthony Turner, of the _Black Pearl_. Now there be a title worth fighting for!"

Julia had recently been given the mighty _Black Pearl_ for her birthday, since Captain Jack had become too old to sail her, and with a heavy heart, handed the command title over to her. But being a pirate female captain, she did not want to have command of her own ship; she just wanted to help other pirates on their journeys. SO this was her opportunity to help a friend and she took it. There would be a small family ceremony in two weeks' time, hosted by each family, and then I would finally be Anthony, Captain of the _Black Pearl._


	2. Chapter 2

One week later, Julia had just finished her training for the day, and exhausted from damage control lessons with Captain Barbosa (of the _Queen Anne's Revenge) _which involved sinking a dinghy and told her to swim to shore, decided to go to ''The Salty Wench'' pub for a bite and a splash of rum. She ordered fish an' chips, and waited at the bar for her drink. Over in the corner of her eye she could see a strange man, wearing an enormous long trench coat that had long seen better days. It was very dark, like he was trying to hide something. She at first attempted to avoid him, so she turned around and went to the other side of the room, but then she looked up from her fish to drink, and he was sitting right in front of her. Frightened and not expecting that, she yelled, not terribly loud, just was jolted.

"Apologies Ms. Sparrow; that be not my intention." His voice was deep, and very salty. But also a little raspy this fellow was not on the young side of the family tree. He wore an enormous ripped up (in places) black hat with three very large red feathers, and the shadows of both the dim and poor lighting in the pub and his hat, hid his face. This being Shipwreck Cove, light was against us, in light you can see things, Shipwreck Cove was meant to not be seen except by those who already know where it be.

"I'm sorry do I know you? How do you know my name?" she asked the man.

"That is not important. What is important is your training. I see you are rising fast in your class, just like your father. Your sea legs are good too." He saw her piece of 8.

"What do you want from me?" she asked.

"Just a young person to hear and believe an old man's sea stories. I have tried to tell people but they don't believe or listen." He leaned forward.

"Well, I do like adventures, what's your story?"

"Centuries ago, there was a palace. Some might even say Poseidon himself ruled there, but that be an old wives version of the story. This palace, built entirely out of an old magical crystal as blue as the pacific, and was the richest in all the land. The ruler was considered by many to be more powerful and fierce than my…" He coughed a couple times, "Excuse me. Anyway he seemed to be more powerful than one man others called, Captain Redhook. He was a brilliant man, conquered the seas aboard the biggest and strongest ships of them all,"

"The _Sea Witch_, yes I've heard of that one, but come on man that's just a legend, sort of like a fairy tale for kids." The man's hand then clenched tightly into a fist.

"SHE DOES EXIST, I'VE SEEN HER ME SELF, A THOUSAND TIMES, AND A THOUSAND TIMES AGAIN!" He sat back down, and controlled himself, everyone in the bar stopped when he screamed at her, but she stood up and said,

"It's alright, I brought me sword and we both still have our rum, no need for panic!" Everyone went back to their business, and she glared at him.

"Do control yourself, stranger! If you're going to tell your story the do it! Do not argue with me over something that may or may not even exist!" She put him in his place, and he continued.

"As I be sayin, this city eventually joined forces with Cap'n Redhook, and made him the richest Pirate Lord in all the land. But only if he promised to protect the city. But one day, the city betrayed him! They banished him from the city and destroyed his crystal, the crystal being the only thing that can allow entrance by anyone into the city. They banished him from their city, and took refuge at the bottom of the Atlantic, hoping to never be found by him or anyone else ever again. Now the only thing keeping that city hoping for anything is their own prophecy of a girl who would return, discover their magnificent an' powerful palace, and return them to their rightful place on the map. That's what the city's ruler said anyway, but she was a crazy old hag." He grinned in his own darkness, provided by the enormous red feathered hat he wore.

"Who is this girl in the prophecy? What was the city's name?" She was very interested now.

"No one knows. The story I just told you is hundreds o' years old nowadays. Think what cha like lassie, but be warned, once the city of Atlantis, I believe it be named, gets in your thoughts, it drives you mad to find it." Julia thanked him for his time and quickly rushed out, wanting to tell Anthony about what this guy just told her, but I was practicing me hand at straddling sea turtles with Cap'n Teague for a week, an' at the end of that week, the ceremony for him to receive the _Pearl_ was at hand. She had to keep it secret, keep it safe, but desperately wanted to tell someone. Then a few days later as she was walking along the docks and First Mate Lanse bumped into her.

"Excuse me miss, 'old on, I know you, ye be Anthony's friend, Julia, well lassie it be nice to finally have the chance to talk." He shook her hand and then they continued walking together. She told him about the meeting with that strange person, and of the lost city of Atlantis. Lanse was fascinated, but also a little skeptical.

"That be a fascinating thing to be thinking indeed missy, but, how real do you think it is?" he asked her, adjusting his hat.

"Well, I didn't think that The _Flying Dutchman _was real, but look at Anthony's dad,"

"Aye that be true, so I suppose ye be looking for a ship then, wait a minute, Jack gave you the _Pearl, _didn't he! And ya plan to give command over to Anthony when he be finished training!"

"Yes, but don't tell anyone, just wait for Captain Grey to get back."

"I hear he is enjoying every minute with his mistress,"

"His mistress? Oh geez,"

"Nay nay, his ship, the _Caroline_, she be a fine lady she. Pure and white like the gods, calm and fast as a whale."

"Oh ok, I though ye be talking about a person for a sec."

"Nay miss. Might I ask ya something? Could I join your crew, to find the lost city of Atlantis?"

"Well ye'd have to ask Anthony, he is gonna become Captain of the ship to take us there soon, and we'll all be on his ship really, but I know he'll say yes, he thinks very fondly of you." Julia smiled. Lanse and Julia walked home and waited for Anthony to return, getting his piece of 8, confirming that he was finally a Pirate Captain. Julia had already gotten her piece of 8, depending on your service in training you got one at different times as anyone else. Lanse had his too, the belt that helped him hold his pistol. Julia's was an opal ring around her thumb.

A few days later, Captain Gray returned from Tortuga with his crew of scallywags, and tied his majestic ship up at the dock himself, and greeted us all on the docks.

"Gray! Me matey nice at see you again!" Anthony gave a hug/pat around the shoulder, and after catching up on old times together, and him telling us of how rough the seas were, and how he almost capsized, but luckily tied down the sails right, they decided to bring up Atlantis, and about the strange man in the pub. Gray had just received his piece of 8, a nylon line around his right hand. Gray and I at first didn't believe it, but after hearing all the details, I was hooked, and thirsted for adventure. Then I told them all about the completion of my training and showed them my piece of 8, a shark's tooth necklace. Julia brought the conversation back to Atlantis. Gray was interested but worried.

"I must be the voice of reason here, are we really saying we're gonna ignore life and put all at risk for something which may or may not be real?" He had a good point and we all started to have second thoughts.

"Come on Gray, we could sail to it together, make sea stories of our own, and be heroes of exploration in our time!" Gray thought about it, and then couldn't resist and pounded fists with us.

"The winds'll be on our side gang, that's all we need!" Gray cheered with all of us, and at this late hour, we all went to Julia's house, getting ready for the change of command ceremony for the _Pearl._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

So Anthony Turner and his mother Elizabeth, along with Cap'n Gray, his crew, an 1st mate Lanse, arrived at Capn' jack's fortress high in the cliffs of Shipwreck Cove. Overlooking the bay and the tiny (in perspective only) ships below, it was a commanding view and site. Angelica welcomed us.

"Welcome friends to our home! I'm sure you all know who this is," She gestured with her hands to Cap'n Jack Sparrow.

"Greetings! Elizabeth, I see you and Will must have been busy last time he came before the next decade. But Julia, I think introductions are called for," He was looking at me and my friends, and with a puzzled look, didn't recognize us.

"Right, sorry Dad, these are my friends, Captain Gray, First mate Lanse," Julia answered, Elizabeth interrupted.

"No Jack, really! Only Anthony is mine, Lanse and Gray are their friends." Elizabeth laughed at Jack's subtlety as usual.

"Ah, so, shall we get on with it then? I can't believe the words that are coming out of me mouth, but Julia, I will allow you to give the _Black Pearl _to anyone you wish, how's that love?" Angelica gave a serious look as if waiting for more to hear from him.

"And, why is that? Go on, say it Jack!" Angelica assured him it was ok and needed to be said.

"Because I am too old and the _Pearl _needs a new generation of Captains to keep her around." Julia gave him a hug, and caught him off guard. He wasn't used to affection, especially from girls, the fact that he married Angelica was hard (but lovely) to admit! But he knew she could see it was hard for him to end his time with the _Pearl_. Jack walked still as if he were drunk, and led us all to a raised platform right abeam of the great legendary and beautiful ship. So, in great pirate tradition, Captain Jack gave Anthony his piece of 8 and out it on his neck. Anthony had been told what his piece of 8 was but he opted to be given it during the acceptance by him of the _Black Pearl_. Then, Captain Jack pulled out his sword, and I did mine, and he asked me questions, sort of a pirate's taking of oath.

"Do you promise to never give up command of this vessel, ship, under any circumstances? Wait to answer all of these at once, savvy?"

"Aye," I acknowledged.

"Do you promise to protect all your friends from harm to the best of your ability? And lastly, do you swear to sail to the ends of the Earth to finish your quest, to plot the rest of the unfilled charts, and to fill the edges of the map as of yet unknown, not to scour away hiding in self-pity and holding that mighty ship back?"

"AYE! With the bottom of my heart, I swear to it!" We all cheered, and the _Black Pearl _fired her guns in salute. Everybody was cheering, and happy for two reasons. It was cool to see a friend get his own ship, and second, our mission could finally begin. We all said our goodbyes to our parents, and in the midst of all the emotions in the air, and me walking around the _Pearl_ with me pals, Julia went inside the fort to her dad's room of old gear he used to have. She found and swiped the compass that points to whatever you want, the map that swivels, dividers, charts, triangle measures, and all sorts of telescopes. All navigation aids basically. Jack, Angelica and Elizabeth were all talking about their kids, when simultaneously Anthony was talking to Lanse and Gray about their secret mission. Also in the meantime, Julia was trying to hide all these things in her skirt, so she could give them to Anthony. She took one telescope, the compass, and the chart, and then left out the back way through a secret bookcase her dad showed her once, that led straight to the ship. She was unseen.

"So we go to Tortuga to pick up crew, supplies, and then we set sail for Atlantis!" Anthony excitedly reported.

"Aye! But shouldn't we also get munitions? Cannon, gunpowder, and matches? Surely there be a foe wanting to reach it first, what about that man in the pub with Julia?" Lanse said. He was right. There would be hard times afoot.

"That sounds very helpful, in fact I be doin the same once we're done here, if ya don't mind?" asked Gray, talking about for his own ship.

"Of course, not at all, we have plenty of time don't fret." Then, Julia bumped in behind him and she dropped the compass on the deck with a thud.

"Ooh sorry! I went in and, tactfully acquired, some small aids for our mission, if you know what I mean," We laughed, and she winked at me, saying I stole some awesome helpful tools from Jack, mwahahahaha. She burst through the doors to the Captain's Quarters on the stern, and put them all safely away. Elizabeth went back to her own home, and Angelica and Jack went out for the day, knowing we were going to leave for our first voyage, but not knowing where or why. That be something no one but us could know. So I went up to the top deck, and gave the order to bring in the mooring lines, and let the canvas fill. I of course helped them, and then after all the line was brought aboard, we unfurled the sails. The huge thick black sails filled with wind once again, and stiffened her image, she was awake once again, and lifted off the dock, heading south to Tortuga. I held the compass in me hands, keeping the rudder on the compass's heading, and after a while it became just a straight shot. The seas at first were beautiful. The air was fresher than mountain's, and the sun shined brightly. The salty spray from our mighty steed ploughing through the waters cleared our breathing and put us all at ease. We had the _Black Pearl;_ nothing could stand in our way. The voyage from Shipwreck Cove to Tortuga would be short, and we would never actually leave sight of land, so it wasn't really the ocean, yet.

By the next evening we had made a calculated 17 knots, and the ship was handling the water well, neither of us were sea sick. Of course this had been no ones' first time, apart from Julia. Over dinner which was pork, bread, potatoes, wine and corn on the Cobb, we talked about how things were going. Luckily we all had a deep camaraderie, because if not, then there might have been a mutiny. Ya see, with me in charge of the ship's wheel, and makin sure nothing wrong happens to them or my ship, they were doin all the hard work, an probably felt it was unfair after all, we were all the same age. However, we were in fact, one man short. Captain Gray already found a ship and a crew, so he sailed his pristine an immaculate lady right alongside us, together we made the most impressive team. _Caroline'_s white wooden hull with deep reddish brown mahogany trim, alongside the black colored wooden hull of the _Black Pearl_, with her powerful sail and graceful sweeping lines. We all were almost done with our dinner, and then I decided to make a toast them, and raised my goblet.

"A toast, to the finest friends I could ever ask for," I thanked them for their service to the ship.

"To friends," They repeated. We may be pirates but manners we got, and our hats were off for the dinner. The next morning, we were covered and surrounded by fog, I loathed the fog. Cap'n gray loved it though.

"ARRRRGH! Get used to it ya deck apes! That fog is a natural occurrence, so you best start liking it me crew, yer in it!" Cap'n Gray told his crew who had been complaining to him about it for a while, as if he could control it. He then looked through his telescope, and through his fog trained eyes, could make out land! At last, Tortuga waited just ahead.

"Signal the _Pearl_ we have arrived." Gray told his first Mate, who proceeded to show certain colored flags to us, and Julia saw them, and told Lanse who knew what they meant, and from the main Crow's Nest, told me there be land ahead. We both (me and Cap'n Gray's ship) docked at the pier in Tortuga, and disembarked, looking for a suitable crew for us.

"That was yer first sailing voyage Julia? Well, just wait until we hit a storm it's a totally different game there," Warned Captain Gray. He had seen some mighty storms in his own training, but if ye got a good ship, which we both did, you'll be fine. We went into a local bar and formed a petition to let people sign up as members of the crew from deck hands to cooks to gunners. After hours we only had half the people we needed, and there were less and less people coming in the bar. Julia got a horror stricken look on her face, as if she be seeing Davy Jones himself walking in.

"Julia, what is it, what's the matter?" Cap'n Gray asked.

"That man that just came in, he's wearing the same hat that that stranger who told me everything was," she affrightedly answered. The man kept walking, and got closer and closer to us. We still couldn't see anything about him, just his height, average, and the hat again. Ripped up it was as if surviving a gun fights, three-cornered, and had huge red feathers. Me wearing a white linen ruffled shirt, navy blue tri corner hat with white feathers, made me look like the total opposite on the color wheel from him. And then he spoke.

"Well, well, well, looky here gents. Julia is it? Nice to be seeing ya again. Tell me, what would a newly acclaimed pirate crew such as yourselves be doin in a place such as this?" He asked, looking at my pocket, which had the compass poking out a bit.

"Our business is our own, and ye be best not to follow sir!" Lanse put his hand on his sword, warning him to not press on with this subject.

"Ye THINK YOU AND YER TEAM O MISFITS CAN BEAT ME? GIVE ME THA BEST YE GOT! I HAVE BEEN SAILIN THA SEAS AN KILLIN EVERY ONE AROUND ME FER CENTURIES!" He opened his jacket, showing us his barnacle ridden leather vest, and crustacean infested boots, with a hook for one hand that was hiding in his sleeve, and a face that didn't look over 30 for a man who's been sailing for centuries.

"HOLY MARY! YE BE CAPTAIN REDHOOK!"

"AYE! INDEED! NOW WHAT MAKES YA THINK YE CAN BEAT ME AN THA _SEA WITCH _TO ATLANTIS? I'LL KILL ALL O YUZ RIGHT NOW!" Captain Redhook drew his sword that had rusted, which would hurt beyond imagination if stabbed from it. In defense, Captain Gray drew his sword, and stepped in front of me, worried that I might be stabbed just then, putting him in danger without care of it.

"AWAY WITH YOU! You DON'T EVEN KNOW HIM! BACK OFF BEFORE I SEVER YOUR HEAD FROM its ENCRUSTED BODY!" Captain Gray swung the air with his sword, and very reluctantly, Captain Redhook, walked away, going back to the _Sea Witch _most likely. We all agreed the time was not our friend any longer, and we all had better find the rest of the crew immediately to get out to sea before the _Witch_ and her master.


	4. Chapter 4

So Julia and Lanse and Gray and I all scrounged around every place in the city, looking for the res of our crew and the next night, we found the last one. We immediately all ran back to our ships trying to leave as fast as possible.

"RUN! EVERYONE RUN! Gray you go on ahead, I'll meet you once we have all gotten on our ships and are away from the dock, go now! Lanse! Don't fall too far behind we need to stick together, RUN EVERYONE! FLY!" I ordered us all so we wouldn't get separated or taken by our new nemesis.

"WAIT! WHERE'S JULIA?" I asked, I was terrified that I may have lost her in the haste to leave so fast, but then turned around, and saw her running, she was actually in front of me.

"I'm right here Anthony, don't worry!" She laughed to herself and ran up the gangway to our ship swiftly and gracefully like a gazelle leaping away from its predator.

Gray saw his ship, and ran immediately onboard, skipping steps going up the gangway. I could see all the lines being heaved tightly by his crew so tightly, that they tore the capstan off the dock, and they did that so they didn't have to waste time untying. Lanse gathered all the crew, and shouted at them to make,

"FULL CANVAS GENTS! WE GOT NO TIME, HEAVE! HO!" Julia ran up the steps to stand next to me at the wheel, feeling secure there, certain that the enemy wouldn't harm her. I made a promise e to keep them safe and safe is where I'll keep her and Lanse. The thick heavy black sails dropped, sounding like an enormous tarp flowing in the wind, and the crew scrambled doing all our orders as quickly as possible, and in record time, we headed out to sea. I could see the _Caroline_ and spouted over to him,

"Ahoy Capn' Gray! Follow us; we have the chart to the city!" I could see Capn' Gray nod, and duff his huge gray three-cornered hat with yellow feathers. We were already making 9 knots and it had been only an hour since we started running. We were not nearly out of sight of land yet, but at least we were safe on our ships with a heading and a crew. Julia and Lanse came up to me, and I told one of the nearby crewmembers to take the wheel. We went into the huge oak doors to the Captain's Quarters, the room where we also had dinner.

"Cap'n Anthony, we best be getting that map out so as to sail in the right direction." Lanse suggested.

"We have a heading, the compass points to whatever ye be wanting, and now that's Atlantis, so we follow the compass." I explained.

"Ah, but do you know how to get to Atlantis its self? Or what to do once you reach the spot where the compass starts spinning, telling you it should be where you are. You do know Atlantis is miles beneath the sea right?" Julia asked.

"Well let's take a look then, because I have no idea at all." Lanse nodded in agreement with me, and Julia went over to a drawer and dug out the map. It still read the same message leading to the Fountain of youth, so I started swiveling it again, until something readable was found. For a while nothing. Remember there are three rings on the map to turn and each turn reveals a hidden and riddled message. Then suddenly, Lanse told me to stop.

"Right there that's it that's the message!" We all looked at it and were confused, so Julia read it aloud.

"Swivel around, plunder the deep, then found is the crystal city" she trailed off, trying to think what that could mean.

"Swivel around and plunder the deep? That doesn't sound good," Lanse said. We all agreed, plunder after all means to sink. A few days past, and we were finally out of sight of land. That only meant our chances of getting closer to the _Sea Witch_ had just doubled. Despite the fear in the air, we all loved being out at sea, the fresh air, the warm pure sun, and the salty spray from our bow below. I could see the _Caroline_ having fun being out at sea too, riding the waves leaping every other wave, upwards. The weather was at first very nice, and then by the afternoon, the wind picked up. It was good for our speed, but we were worried a storm might be brewing.

"Cap'n! It be a good thing Cap'n Gray be in his own boat alongside us instead of part of our crew," Lanse told me, while looking out into the vast Atlantic horizon which we had only just entered.

"And why be that Lanse?" I asked him, holding the wheel, feeling good about me self, the _Pearl_ was mine and we were finally starting our quest.

"Because if we meet the _Sea Witch, _we're gonna need all of the extra fire power we can get. You know that ship has three rows of cannons on each side, and bow as well as stern cannons. And, she has powers that can make her sail underwater, and summon the Sharks and other predators of the deep to do his bidding!" He was a little afraid, but more warning me than anything. Julia was afraid, well we all were, but for the same reason. We didn't want to have anything happen to the other one. The wind had begun to get mighty fierce, and the waves were getting stronger.

Another day past, and Capn' Gray was on the other side of us now. Seeing as we only had a straight crossing to go on now, he thought he'd have fun and circle around us every other day. Julia came up to me and said she figured out the riddle on the map. Lanse and I followed her back into the Captain's Quarters, and we all sat at the table.

"I think it means there is going to be a maelstrom. Or worse, a sort of ocean black hole or whirlpool that sucks us all down beneath the waves," She said.

"Aye, an then what happens- when we're mile beneath the water?" I asked.

"Well, I heard that only certain people can actually go inside the city, everyone can see it if you get there, but the way you find out if you can get inside, is if when the city's guards attack, you don't turn into glass, and die." We were all silent for a second processing that. Then it hit us.

"We can't possibly be in good mind to be doin this then. Absolutely not! I will not take us to a place of certain death!"

"We can't just turn around either; we don't have enough food for that! Shipwreck Cove is too far away!" Lanse argued.

"Captain Redhook said there was a prophecy in the city! That they were waiting for a girl to come and save them from their underwater prison. I asked him who she was but he didn't know. On two separate occasions, he tried to stop all of us but I think specifically me from getting to Atlantis, don't you see? I'M PROBABLY THE CHOSEN ONE!" Julia had it all figured out, Lanse and I were dumbfounded.

"But if you're the chosen one, where is your crystal? Captain Redhook also said that there is only one way to open the Cities doors, the crystal. If it's destroyed, then you can never return." I pointed out.

"Perhaps, the crystal be waiting to expose its self once we've reached the City," we all stopped talking and stared at the blue light coming from Julia's piece of 8, her opal ring on her thumb.

"Julia, your ring, look it's glowing!" Lanse pointed.

"There you see? We must be heading in the right direction if it's already glowing!" Julia finally defended. We all agreed on what had just happened, and told Gray with signal flags, and he signaled to us that he be understanding, and would follow our lead to the death. A few weeks later, and the storm had really begun to cook something ugly. Our ships were pitching up and down heavily, rolling side to side with heavy force, and sometime yawing, doing all of them simultaneously! The clouds had rolled in and the rain came, along with lightning and more wind.


	5. Chapter 5

So the storm had begun to really pound walls of water at our mighty ship, and Captain Gray's ship was really having a hard time staying upright. The rain was so hard it almost looked foggy, our visibility decreasing. The lightning struck different spots in the water and huge columns of spray shot up in the air, some of them drenching us as we ploughed through the seas making way to Atlantis. Lanse thought we should alter course and sit the storm out, but I disagreed.

"Anthony! We can't keep doin this! This storm is too great! I only am thinking of our safety matey!"

"NAY! FARTHER IN! THA _PEARL _IS NOT WILLIN TO GIVE UP A FIGHT! WE MUST PUSH ON!" I replied. Julia was looking out into the vast gloomy and flashing horizon, grabbing onto the rail for dear life. The ship was riding the waves so vigorously that even the mightiest person with sea legs would be thrown off his feet and sent thrashing to either side of the deck.

"HOLY SHIT THIS IS STRONG!" Julia slipped and skid her knee on the teak deck. The waves then smashed and caved in on themselves, sending gallons of spray falling all over her. One fish was flopping along on the deck trapped from the wave bringing him here. She went over stretching her arm out completely keeping one arm holding on the ship, and then by the tail, threw him back into the sea.

"Very skilful lassie, that be nice thing ye done!" First mate Lanse told her. Anthony was struggling to keep the wheel steady, with not much success.

"LANSE I NEED YOU AT THE HELM!"

"AYE THAT BE TRUE!" He ran over to the wheelhouse (which being the _Black Pearl _was exposed) and tripped from the rolling and pitching deck.

"HELP ME KEEP IT STEADY BOY!" We both grabbed hold of each side of the wheel, and screamed trying with all our might trying to hold it down. If we didn't, the ship would make a full turn to either port or starboard, and capsize. One of my hands got drenched by another wave crashing on the bridge, and slipped, and for a microsecond, let go of the wheel. We all could feel it. The sudden free rudder was heaved with the sea, and the ship took on a 20 degree list to port, throwing Julia back on her bum again, and the rest of the crew hanging on to the rigging. One of the crewmen on the Crow's nest slipped and fell into the water, screaming to his death, seconds before lightning struck there. We didn't have time to grieve it yet, the _Pearl _must stay afloat!

Across from us, Captain Gray was having a very hard time himself. His ship had two wheels so it was somewhat earlier to control in this storm, but still, it needed more than one man to keep steady. He let his crew take the helm as he attempted to retie one of the rigging that made a huge sail now flap freely in the wind, tremendously slowing her down. After a short while of trying to grab the stupid line in the rain, the _Caroline_ had slowed so much, that the _Pearl_ was now far in the distance and shrinking.

"COME ON YE stupid mangy line!" Captain Gray irritated cursed the line, and when he finally fixed the main sail, he looked up and couldn't find the _Pearl _anywhere.

"FIRST MATE! GET THE MESSENGER OWL OUT OF HIS CAGE AND SEND HER TO THE _PEARL_!" He ordered.

"But sir, how will she know where to go in this storm?" Hitchens opposed. Gray was worried sick. He was not about to abandon his best friends in the middle of a storm, and he also wanted to continue helping in their quest to find Atlantis.

"DO AS I SAY! DO NOT WASTE TIME QUESTIONIN! THA LONGER WE WAIT THE FARTHER AWAY FROM HER WE ARE!" Captain Gray had to yell for audibility, but also because he was very angry. He was separated from his best friend, and the map. Now he was somewhere at sea, with no heading and no certain form of communication.

Back at the _Pearl, _things were still in maelstrom mode. The storm showed no signs of stopping, and now the waves were so huge, one could see the keel and the full length rudder come out of the water with each dive into a trough, and rise with a crest. Lanse still holding onto the wheel looked out to where the whit _Caroline_ should be, but only saw sea and rain and lightning.

"SIR! WHERE'S THA _CAROLINE_ GONE?" asked Lanse, he was worried and now angry himself. This horrid storm had separated them from their friends, and in affect, shortened their firepower should they meet the _Sea Witch._

"She must've been slowed down by that storm! We cannot alter course!" I ordered, and he nodded back, the volume of the rain, wind and thunder and screaming crew was too loud to hear an "aye, aye sir".

For hours it seemed this storm went on. There were some waves by now that were so enormous in length and frequency, that the angel gracing the _Pearl's_ bowsprit was actually underwater at some points. The strobe-like lightning illuminated the decks as if the moon were a thousand times brighter, and flickering. It helped us to see but it was periodical.

All of a sudden, Julia's ring that until now had been glowing very brightly a brilliant turquoise blue color, stopped glowing, and turned back to opal. It sparkled the same color blue every now and then, but the persistent glowing stopped. Worried and out of curiosity, she looked up and saw the ocean, occasionally being struck by the lightning. But then, with an enormous bomb-sounding crash, and with a 200 foot column of water and spray shooting up into the thunderous sky, the black glass-looking smooth hull covered with three rows of cannons, each one looking like the mouth of a serpent, and the dark red canvas sails, with deep navy blue lines, gold gilded railings on the decks. Then, as the bow settled down and made the ship level with the water, the bowsprit (now visible through the rain, and shown from the lightning), was composed of an enormous broomstick, the bristles holding it to the edge of the bow, and the end of it had a rusting and rustic trident. After the sea settled from the enormous wave the _Sea Witch_ created, we could all see the enormous ship. Julia gazed in awe as the enormous evil looking ship grew in perspective as she repulsed the water from being submerged, and took in air. She was three times the size of us, not in every dimension, the sails were the same height, and similar position, but the hull, the actual ship part was higher above the water and wider. The bow of the _Witch_ had a skeleton with standing on a shark, with a snake twisted around his rib cage, held up the bowsprit/ trident ended broomstick.

Then, at the stern of this huge dark ship, her Captain held the wheel, and maneuvered his scary yet attractive ferocious ship to within feet of our own. We could all make out the familiar hat with red feathers, and I got furious with every second.

"PREPARE TO BROADSIDE! FIRST MATE, EVASIVE ACTION!" I ordered everyone to battle stations, and they loaded our 32 guns, and trained them to hit dead center the magazine of the _Witch_. Once all our guns were loaded the gunnery man told Julia.

"ALL GUNS READY ANTHONY!"

"FIRE!" I ordered. Lanse was finally able to relax, as the storm was still present, but not as fierce. The waves still played with our ship, but they were not as forceful. We fired all our guns from stern to bow and our ship erupted in a cloud of gunpowder and fumes. Lanse Julia and I watched as the cannon balls fired at the _Sea Witch, _no damage was done. The space in between our vessels of power grew, and the enemy ship was changing course. Captain Redhook went over to the railing and shouted at us.

"YE CAN TRY ALL YE WANT, YE CAN'T BEAT ME SHIP AN CREW! I WILL BE ATTACKIN YE, BUT NOT WITH CANNON, YET!" Captain Redhook took the helm again, laughing, and his ship sailed very hastily into the distance.

"Attack us without cannons? How?" Julia asked as her ring began glowing again.

"I don't know," I answered. Lanse was worried. He had heard stories, but they were just stories, surely they weren't real?


	6. Chapter 6

A day afterwards, we had not changed our course at all; we were waiting for the _Caroline_ to regroup. We were not about to leave our friend in the middle of the Atlantic, in an enormous storm, alone with no heading.

"Are we sure he's still alive even?" Julia said. We were all thinking it, she just be bold enough to verbalize it.

"Don't say things like that! If we start doubt ourselves, how can we be certain to do anything?" I told him. I looked up to the storming sky, looking up to the heavens, asking the higher power to keep him safe wherever he may be.

Just then there was a tawny owl that came flying over to us, getting closer to me. I thought it was strange because owls don't usually be seen this far out at sea.

"Captain! Look!" Lanse said, as the old owl settled right on the deck and stared at me. I walked over to him and he let me pick him up, and there was a small scroll in his feet that dropped in my free hand. I read it aloud to Lanse and Julia.

"Anthony and crew of the Pearl, we be about a day's worth behind, remain on course, we just regained full canvas. When you get this, look abaft of your ship." Lanse read aloud, the rain was so bad with every vowel; water flew off his lips from the rain. We all three of us ran to the wheel deck, and peered into the distance in between the three huge brass stern lamps. In the distance we at first saw little. The rain was so heavy still it was hard to see. Then out of the storm, we saw the large beautiful white pureness that out of the haze in the rain, appeared to be gleaming. Riding the waves like a seesaw, the great ship raced towards us, wanting to make up for lost time. Then when our bowsprits were even, I ordered full canvas, and all of our sails stretched lower, increasing their surface area, which in turn increased our speed mightily. Our ships were racing so fast through the calmer (but mind you still rough) seas that our bow splash was level with the anchors, wetting some of my crew! The thunder and lightning stopped, but I think we are just getting started.

The next days we had been communicating with Gray telling him our heading, and our desired course, but also about the map. At this point flags were getting annoying so instead we got closer and just yelled to each other.

A few more days past and so far Captain Redhook's threat turned out to be false. Or, so we thought.

By afternoon, we were all exhausted. The rum was getting low but our food was still awesome. A king's dinner every night we had. But before we all had dinner, the crew I let relax for a bit, the ship could handle herself for now, we were going straight now. Si the three of us sat on the deck and talked. I unbuttoned my largely cuffed, stiff collared, flared at the waist linen jacket, and enjoyed the therapeutic sunset with sea breeze.

"So, how do ya think he's gonna attack if he not be using cannons?" I asked them both.

"Who?" Lanse asked. It had been almost a week since our encounter with Captain Redhook.

"Davy Jones. NO CAPTAIN REDHOOK YE NINNY!" We all laughed and then Lanse cleared his throat.

"Oh Right! Well, I heard stories,"

"Of?" I urged him to continue.

"Of this huge army almost of Sharks. Not just normal ones though. I swear they be the size of two dinghies, and have razor sharp teeth, four rows of them. They are fast and can jump out of the waters. But they're just stories right?"

"Where do the stories come from I wonder?" Julia asked. We all were very scared now. A Shark like that could easily slow us down. Or worse…

Later that night the storm had cleared, and now the full moon, a comforting sight, shined in the starry night. The white glow from the moon shined with Gray's ship, and on the angel adorning our bowsprit. For once the seas were flat calm, which made us go even faster now. Almost 20 knots to be exact. Side by side, with the white _Caroline, _the _Black Pearl_ graced herself through the waves, closing the gap between us and the lost city of crystals.

The water looked darker now. We had entered the beginning of the part of the sea bottom where id began to dive even further. Now the bottom was 1000 feet deep. The _Pearl_ had never been in such deep waters till now.

"It looks almost like it's trying to hide something," Julia commented, worried about us. She was able to walk around the ship now that the seas were calm, but out of peace of mind, still kept one hand on the rail. Her ring was glowing again, and she walked over to the focsle deck at the bow, getting closer to the water. Gray could see the blue glow on her hand, and signaled to me asking what was wrong. I signaled back explaining, and he was fine again.

"Just worried is all, No harm in being cautious," Gray explained to his first mate. Then, there was a faint thud on his hull.

"QUIET! EVERYONE KEEP IT DOWN!" He paused. There was another thud. "Do you feel that?" Again there was a thud within the _Pearl's _old wooden decks. "Something's off," He ran over to the edge, and couldn't see anything. Then right out of the water, and enormous 50 foot long shark jumped, with its momentum flew over to the deck, bit a crewman by the head, and landed on the other side of the ship in the water again.

"ALL HANDS BATTLE STATIONS! MAN THA GUNS AND TURN HER HARD A STARBOARD!" Gray ordered.

Back on the _Pearl_ I could hear his orders, and looked over the edge. There was a 4 foot tall fin, a lot of them, circling my ship, and then all of a sudden, another one jumped out if the water, and this time, tried to bite a crewman, but Lanse grabbed him, and saved him. The Shark continued flying through the air, and his tail fin smacked against the railing, breaking it to pieces, and landing on the port side. I mimicked Gray's orders, and our ship took a huge list to port, moaning with the extra effort needed to make such a maneuver at such great speeds. More of these Sharks were attacking and Gray had already ordered firing individual cannons, trying to shoot them down before reaching deck level. Some worked, the cannon balls hitting the mouths of these leviathans sending them to the very far depths of the unforgiving Atlantic.

Another Shark rammed himself against the hull, making the entire ship shake violently from the tremendous force. Then I was worried Julia was all the way forward at the focsle deck, closer to the water than any of us. I ran over to her, and was horrified. There were sharks leaping out of the water all over the place, trying to bite her out of the air, but unsuccessfully. The bowsprit was always in their way. I leaned down to help her up and one of the sharks got his head stuck in the railing. Julia was screaming and out of fear couldn't move. He was trying to eat her leg! I kicked him with me boot hard square in the middle of his eyes, on his nose, and he fell down.

"Few, thank you Anthony! That was really close!" Then I looked over her shoulder below her and saw another enormous shark. He opened his mouth this time, and broke through the railing, the debris smacking my chest and sending me down on the ground. I thought the shark was gone, but the pain was so unimaginable I didn't feel it right away. Blood was pouring onto the deck, and Julia was screaming, thinking the worse might happen next. Once it hit me I was screaming in agony as the Shark shook his head around, holding on tightly to my leg from the knee. She was screaming now too and all of us were helpless, the blood came out faster, as the teeth sank deeper between my bones. Lanse heard my screams and ran as fast as he could, bringing a piece of debris from the broken wood railing. He saw the blood and the shark and my leg, and rammed the huge block of wood into the Sharks head, killing him. His grip was loosening, but it was too late, blood began pouring like a waterfall out as the shark fell back into the ocean, with half of my leg in his mouth. Lanse took off his jacket and tied it around my leg, trying to stop the bleeding. I had grown pale, and blacked out. Julia was crying now, worried that I might die out here. Lanse told one of the crewmen to signal the _Caroline_ of our wounded Captain, and he carried me in his arms to Sick bay. The ship's doctor wrapped towels around my leg that were clean of bacteria and other risks to stop the bleeding, and he held Julia's hand trying to comfort her, but he was really worried too.

Gray saw the flags red over red being raised, and was terrified.

"YOU TAKE THE HELM IM BOARDIN THEIR SHIP!"

"AYE AYE SIR!" Gray cut one of the falls loose, and used it as a vine in a jungle to swing from his ship to mine, and went straight down to the sick bay. He saw Lanse and Julia tearing but trying to show it, and then he saw me on the bed with one and a half legs, and fell to the seat, and took his hat off in respect. Julia's ring persisted on glowing immensely, as if not caring about the incident, telling her that Atlantis was now half way away.


	7. Chapter 7

The Doctor on the _Pearl _needed time alone with Anthony in order to do the not necessarily surgery, but the operation. An older teenager without a leg needed a lot of split second decisions; any delay could let me bleed to death. Captain Gray, First mate Lanse and Julia all were insistent on staying with him, but the Doctor refused.

"Although if ye be willing to find me some wood or otherwise leg like object, I be greatly appreciating it. He would too." The doctor pointed at me with the last sentence there. Julia decided to stay with me, while Lanse and Gray agreed to look for something wood or otherwise helpful to acquiesce his request.

"Alright mate, I say we each start at the opposite end of the ship, and work our way to the middle, aye?" Lanse suggested. Gray started thinking. He still had his sword, as did Lanse.

"Why don't we cut a piece of the wood ourselves? Make a peg leg out of wood from his own ship?" Gray suggested finally. Lanse raised his eyebrows in agreeing with that previously unforeseen option. So, they both went over to the rail at the bow, the wood was thinner there, and it was where he lost his leg to begin with. The rain had stopped, but the waves returned now, and the sun was beginning to rise again. So, with the ship slowly but surely pitching, only pitching this time, the two mateys began hacking away at the wood, which did not want to be cut. After a while, they were starting to sweat, and started thinking it wasn't going to work, and Lanse stopped for a second.

"It's not working, we gotta think of something else Gray we don't have this kind of time!" Lanse was remembering what the Doctor said. Any delay could cause him to bleed to death.

"NAY! We must keep chopping! It's our best bet! For Anthony mate! For Anthony!" Gray encouraged.

"AYE! For Anthony!" Lanse felt very sad inside as he was now trying desperately to save his best friend's life, never thinking it be an actual goal for him to do.

Gray continued chopping, and on ever swing, called "HEAVE!" Lanse responded with "HO!" after the first few, and then they sang the Pirate's Ode. Heave Ho, haul together, never shall we die!" With the added confidence, they managed to chop off a piece cleanly, and ran it back inside through the Captain's Quarters, to sick bay.

"Perfect thank you lads," The Doctor said.

"Now, I believe this next bit be a thing ye best not want to be seeing done, so I highly recommend ye all leave until he has been, mended if you will, and until he wakes up."

The three of them unwillingly left the room, and Gray refused to go back to his ship until Anthony had awakened again. The rest of the day was uneventful, weather somewhat better, the Sun even made a cameo appearance here and there. But between the three of them were only worried glances at the doors that virtually lead to sick bay, and otherwise sad expressions and short patience with the crew who insisted on only talking about it whenever there was down time. They didn't want to forget, they just didn't want to dwell on something as unpleasant as this. That night at dinner was quiet. The chair I used to make a toast to my dearest friends to be empty this evening. They all decided to block it from their obvious concern, and tried to make conversation, but they were all worried sick about him, and Julia started crying again, feeling responsible for it all.

"If it weren't for me and being so damn clumsy, I wouldn't have tripped all the way forward practically waiting for a Shark to get me, and he wouldn't have had to try and kick one away." She argued. Lanse and Gray disagreed.

"This wasn't yer fault lassie; ye can't blame yourself for something that may have been meant to be. Did ye notice his Piece of Eight? It's a shark tooth necklace! And Gray Yours is a piece of line around your wrist, well, wasn't it line that be the reason why ye fell back for so long? And wasn't it line that brought you over here to check on Anthony? And Julia, we all know yours, it's a way to enter Atlantis, without that, no one can enter. We were all meant to be doin this voyage and the things that be happenin to us are also meant to happen." Lanse replied. Gray took note of everyone's pieces of 8 and watched the continuous glow of the blue ring. He and Julia both agreed with Lanse, it seemed to crucial to be a mere coincidence.

"He's right missy. Don't beat yourself up. We still have a mission to finish! But I think I speak for us all when I say nothing would depress me more than if we lost Anthony. Not out here." Just then, there was a tap on his shoulder, and with wide smiles, and loud gasps of excitement, Julia and Lanse gestured for Gray to look behind him.

"Ahoy me friends! I am back again! It seems it takes more than a Shark attack to stop me friends from saving me! Thank you all so much," I was standing on my own single foot again. My other leg was carved to be easy on my good half, and at the same time, allow enough balance to allow me to be standing without a cane. It added flavor to me walk though, be sure of that!

"ANTHONY! I'M SO GLAD YE ARE OK!" Lanse ran and gave me a huge hug, Julia wanted one next.

"ANTHONY! DON'T EVER DO THAT TO US AGAIN WE WERE WORRIED SICK!" We all laughed, and she pounced on the other side of me, Lanse was still hugging, and I be smiling an hugging back. Gray be the last remaining one and we all pulled him over and the four of us hugged tightly for a second, unimaginably happy that he hadn't died. Then we all let go, and went straight to work. Gray said his somewhat goodbye, and returned to his mistress _Caroline_ and we unfurled our sails, we had slowed tremendously from either weather or waiting to get me back, so I ordered flank canvas, pullin the mighty, black, strong, broad sails to their maximum, and the _Pearl _raced across. At first she overshadowed the _Caroline_, and then we matched each other's speeds in the sun, and we both sailed across the vast dark blue ocean, our bow waves loud and fresh, spraying salt into our air. Gray held the wheel of his beautiful an powerful ship and smiled looking at us over on the _Pearl_ to his port side. I raised my sword and cheered, inspiring all of us to do the same.

"TO ATLANTIS! LET REDHOOK DO HIS WORST HE'S NO MATCH FER US!" We all cheered and screamed in excitement and adrenaline. Then when we all settled down, Lanse whispered in me ear something troubling.

"Anthony, if the Sharks were real, then we have two more armies at deal with before we can get to him or Atlantis,"

"And what be that?" I asked him. Julia could see us whispering, and walked closer behind us.

"SEA WITCH!" She laughed scaring us to death. "If ye got something to say, no secrets." She told.

"Alright then. We have but two more armies at battle along our way to the lost City. Mind you they be only stories, but the Sharks turned to be true!" he defended.

"What are they?" She asked, and I listened intently.

"Jellyfish. Not just any ordinary jellyfish, these I hear do something terrible indeed, but I do not remember what exactly. The last one, be the Sirens." He finished.

"Sirens? What are those?" I asked.

"They are a magical being. They've been dead for a thousand centuries, but now curse the seas around the islands of Isla da Enganara."

"But that's only a week away from where we are! What do they do Lanse?"

They are beautiful, seductive, women. They attract lonesome men on voyages, and drag them down to the bottom of Marianas Trench! That's what they do!"

Julia and I were both terrified, but she was not in as much danger as Anthony or Lanse, or Gray. We all knew we would stand by each other, and Gray would too, it obviously didn't matter if he was on a different ship, he'd come over in a flash if need be. Times were only just beginning to get rough, and more were coming, as fast as our ships ploughed through the waves, the faster the terrors of the Sea were coming.


	8. Chapter 8

A few days later, we were sailing more North Eastern, changing our course from the sudden skip the compass made. The compass which pointed to whatever you wanted most in this world. We signaled Gray our new course change, and then continued, constantly checking our heading and matching it with the charts. After a while it returned to a straight shot again, and the wind was with us so even more speed boosted us. The weather was clean, no rain or thunder, but it was always dark. The water looked grey from the dark blackish clouds looming above. It was midday, but looked like midnight.

"I don't like this; it's as if the weather be warnin us, not to go further." I pointed out. Lanse looked at me with doubtful eyes.

"Will ye listen to it even if it were trying to say that?" he asked, expecting a certain answer which he got.

"No, I suppose not. Julia, I swear that ring has never glowed brighter," I said. I was watching her walk around the decks with her head up looking at the impressive natural scenery.

"I know, I hope it's a good sign, that's how I'm taking it!" She answered. The light from her ring, shined a light blue tint all over her, and a little out in front, that's how bright it be glowing now. We all assumed it be glowing as a sign that we were heading in the proper direction.

"Well Lanse, we have been sailing for days, and still we have not seen yer Jellyfish or Sirens. What do ye make o that?" Anthony said, adjusting the wheel again. The ship made a slight list in response, and then the _Caroline _imitated. We had been makin steady distance between us, not too far away, not too close. I grabbed me leg and groaned a bit, and Lanse put his hand on my shoulder,

"How are ya doin, everything ok?" He asked me, I grinded me teeth, not used yet to be walking with 1.5 legs.

"Yes, matey I am fine. Thank you for yer concern. Wait a second, what be that out there?" I was looking out into the distance; there was something blinking, like a lighthouse or a light ship or something with a light. Julia was not yet convinced. She kept a weather eye on the horizon, where the strange light came from, and watched.

"It can't be anything man made, we be a month away from nearest land! The water is too deep, continue course and speed. If it be something bad, I'm not willing at find out just yet, are ye?" I suggested.

"No definitely not. At least a little smooth sailing would be nice." Lanse replied, glancing at me peg leg.

Then the flashing stopped, and it was back to the normal ocean we all knew. The three of us went back inside to discuss our plan in what be done after we discover Atlantis.

"Well first we have to get inside it! Don't we? I mean how can we go all this way and then just turn around and go home?" Julia asked us.

"But how do we get inside? Only people with the lost crystals can get inside. Right?" I opposed. Not in anger, just for clarification.

"Right, but you're forgetting something. My ring. I think it's not just glowing, I think it's one of those crystals and that's why it's glowing." Julia replied, putting her bright hand on the table, lighting up the room, and our faces with its glow.

"But if it is a crystal, why didn't it glow before?" I asked again,

"And why did you get it and not anyone else? What makes you special from all the rest? I'm not trying to be rude, begging yer pardon lassie, I just be curious is all." Lanse also asked. We both had been wondering that for days, but never thought it would be appropriate to ask.

"Remember what I told you about what happened to me that night at the bar in Tortuga? Well, he mentioned something about a Chosen One, a special girl. And of all the people in the bar, he sat in the dark corner, watching the door, and then decided to talk to me." She was on to something good. We both looked at each other, and then back at her.

"Don't you see? I must be the chosen one!" She concluded.

"Aye the chosen one we got that part. Chosen one to do what though? And, surely it's not you! You told us this before but we didn't want to believe you, it only makes sense now though, that's why the sharks attacked, Captain Redhook wants to get into Atlantis to do something before we get there, he knows if we get there with the chosen one, he lost. But what will he have lost?" I said. This was all getting exciting, the adventure I had been seeking turned out to be just getting good, and me reputation and name would finally mean something when it all be said and done. As long as my friends were safe, it was all good.

"I am the Chosen One, to set Atlantis free, and go back on the Map, out of hiding and turmoil. That's why there down there; they don't want to be found. And from the story she told, we especially did not want to be discovered by Captain Redhook...I wonder what he did to be banished." Julia sent out one last question out into the open. We sent back the messenger owl that came by to tell us about Gray during that storm, and this time wrote back.

"Tell him about our discussion, and ask him that question, maybe he has heard something he was not able to tell before." I ordered. The crewman set the Owl free, and he flew over to Captain Gray's ship. High in the sky level with the _Caroline's _sails, he descended, catching Gray's attention.

"First mate Hitchens take the helm want to read my Owls message," he ordered, and the owl dropped his message in his hand. Gray unwound the scroll, and read to himself. He had heard a story about Captain Redhook.

"Hitchens, take command while I'm gone, I need to tell Anthony something about Captain Redhook and Atlantis."

"Aye Aye sir, do ye want me to bring our ships closer so you don't have to swing over?"

"No that not be necessary, thank ye though. Just keep the old girl safe while I'm gone." With that, Gray cut one of the falls, and again in a tribal way, swung over to the _Pearl, _looking for Anthony. He opened the huge oak doors to the Captain's Quarters, and saw the three of us sitting at the table.

"Gray! How nice to be seeing ya!" We all greeted him, and he took his grey hat off and sat down next to us.

"I got yer message, and yes I have heard something. It just is a story, a repeated one at that so who knows if it be true. But, what I heard be strange, and would strain credulity at that,"

"We're listening, go on," I urged him. He took a deep breath and went on.

"Well, I heard that centuries ago, he was a Lord, respected and saluted, so much that the Queen of Atlantis awarded him with a mighty ship and a crew, one that he could conquer the seas in Atlantis's name in with. And upon his return, she would give him two crystals as payment. The very same type o crystal Julia is wearing. But, over time, he became greedy, and merciless, killing and destroying every living thing above and below the sea what went in his path. Until one day, The Queen had enough. She destroyed all of his crystals and banished him from her city. He agreed on one term. He could keep his ship and crew of sea dwellers."

"But what were those creatures, we know about the Sharks, obviously, anymore?" I asked, pointing to me leg when sharks were mentioned.

"Yes, there be Sirens, and I think only jellyfish."

"We know about the sirens thanks to my first mate Lanse, but what of the jellyfish?" I asked him, Lanse doffed his hat when he was mentioned, Julia giggled at our mannerisms, and then we all went back to serious listening.

"Aye, the jellyfish is a treacherous thing indeed. Twice as long as our ships, and as fast as the Wind its self, they have enough venom when ye get stung or look into their eyes, and then," he trailed off, not sure if we wanted to know the rest. We all urged him, hanging on his every word,

"Then ye turn to glass, and sink to the bottom shattering into oblivion. Forever."

"Is there any way we can tell they are near?"

"The only thing I can think of would be their distinctive flash. Because they are creatures from Atlantis, they glow and fade periodically, their color different for everyone." We all shuddered at this, we had clearly seen a flash similar to what he was talking about, and were very worried.

"I would not recommend sleeping then, as a surprise attack from these fellows would send ye to the depths before ye knew what hit ya." Immediately, we all went back out on deck, and we were surrounded by flashes as far as the eye could see. Gray went immediately back to his ship and we both gave the same orders. IN the calm waters we had slowed down, letting our crew relax a bit on this hard journey.

"FULL CANVAS! ALL HANDS TO BATTLESTATIONS! HELMSMAN MIND THA FLASHES YE HIT ONE WE'RE ALL DEAD!" I gave the order, and every single sail on our ships dropped, filling with air and pushing our gals to top speed. Even the Jibs were being used. The _Black Pearl_ heaved to and fro, desperately trying to avoid the Jellyfish, but all of a sudden there was a huge shudder throughout the ship, and our speed began dropping…


	9. Chapter 9

All of us were terrified and confused, all our sails had been put to full canvas, and yet we were slowing, swiftly. Captain Gray saw us dragging behind, and slowed, and eventually stopped, waiting out this next wave of attack. On tha _Pearl_ there were lots of screaming crew and running around feverishly. Julia was standing next to Anthony and Lanse, wondering what was happening. Then all of a sudden, three enormous jelly like white strings fell over the tops of the deck. In the air and out of the water they turned to mush, and stayed there. Lanse and I walked over to it.

"What in the name o everythin holy is that?" I asked, staring closely at it.

"That, be the stingers of one o them Jellyfish, don't get too close mind ye," Lanse answered. If one of us touched it, we'd be instantly turned into glass, and sunk to the bottom o the Atlantic. We had our answer as to why we were slowing, one of the Jellyfish had latched on to our keel, and was tryin to drag us down with him!

"Anthony, we gotta shake him loose, if not we'll be lost for sure!" Julia told me. But how? This Jellyfish was beneath the water. And they did not waste time in attacking.

A few of the jellyfish soared out of the water, the huge plume of water from their mushroom like top sent a wave creating a huge list, throwing all of us of our feet.

"EVERYONE TAKE COVER!" I ordered, and grabbed Lanse and Julia and ran under the stairs taking cover. The Jellyfish flew high in the air, fluttering their stingers and tops, and all of a sudden, in a blinding flash of green light, struck an unlucky person in front of us three. The three of us screamed in horror as the poor man was slowly turned into glass, and looked like an ice sculpture, frozen in his last movement. Then just as we all thought it was all over, he was magically thrown by the Jellyfish over the side, and with no splash at all, was sent to the bottom, shattering into oblivion.

"We must avoid these things! Ye gotta get back to the helm!"

AYE TRAIN THA GUNS FAR BELOW, MAN HER HARD A STARBOARD!" All of the port side guns exploded from stern to bow and the small clouds of gunpowder surrounded the deck. There was a shrieking scream coming from below, and we picked up speed a little.

"Captain! The Jelly is dying!" Lanse reported.

"AYE! AN WE GT PLENTY MORE TO DEAL WITH!" I laughed at that, and turned the wheel with one hand to the opposite direction, and the ship listed heavily to the other side. Julia was thrown off her feet again.

"Would you stop that! Geez enough already!"

"I'm sorry lassy, jus tryin to avoid tha flyin Jellyfish!" Out of the air, another huge jellyfish soared higher and higher, and zapped two other crewmen, and the flash was absolutely blinding. The columns of water poured all over the decks and the Jellyfish maintained their periodical glowing.

Captain Gray had been stopped for a second too long and more jelly fish jumped out of the water and surrounded his ship, disabling further movement.

"Anthony, Gray's ship has been trapped by the jellfish!"

"LOAD THE CANNONS AND COME ABOUT!" I ordered, and ran to the stern rail behind the captain's quarters, and watched as Gray's ship was now only shown by the immense glow of the huge flying jellyfish, striking many of his crew, and hopefully not himself.

"FASTER! WE CANNOT WAIT!" I desperately wanted to get there faster and help me matey.

When we finally were in range, all of the Jellyfish suddenly blew up, and fell to the water with a moaning crash of foam and spray. The resulting shockwave drenched us, flooding the decks, and throwing fish everywhere. Gray stood on top of his railing and held onto the falls holding the sails in place, and yelled over to us.

"DAMNED IS THE DAY I LET ME SELF GET TAKEN DOWN BY A JELLYFISH!" We all laughed at him, and we maneuvered our ships back on course, trying to take down the rest of the jellyfish. We fired our guns at every glowin mangy mushy jellyfish out there. The smell of the gunpowder in the air and the constant dead bodies falling into the seas, thank heavens the weather had calmed down. Only the waves that drenched us were from the dead jellyfish, that never seized to drench us. Finally the last jellyfish fell to the sea, and everyone cheered and clapped at it's screeching death. We had regained our speed, and the _Caroline_ continued traveling.

"Well done Anthony, we did it!" Julia congratulated me.

"I couldn't have done it with out you two and Gray though, I don't really think that was all that hard anyway. I wonder if it was a diversion. Something to distract us from something he was tryin to do himself." I replied.

"That is interesting matey, wouldn't it make sense if Captain Redhook were trying to slow us down, he'd give us a long diversion to distract us from our journey?" Lanse agreed. Julia and I were suspicious, and we shared a look of worry and second guessing ourselves. Little did we know, that with each triumphant conquering of each of his armies, the _Sea Witch_ was itching to have her one on one battle with the mighty and self righteous _Black Pearl._


	10. Chapter 10

So Anthony, Julia, and Lanse all agreed that the incident with the Jellys was indeed a diversion. Furthermore, that Captain Redhook was either trying to intercept us, or worse, waiting for the opportune moment when he could strike us at our weakest point.

"But what would make us seem week?" Julia asked.

"Well, say for example, another storm struck us, and we were separated. As Lanse has told me before, our firepower is greatly decreased, more than tenfold in that scenario." I answered, Lanse nodded his head. The sun was beginning to set, and shined a beautiful shade of orange throughout the gilded ready room.

"It would be an excellent moment for an attack, it would eliminate his threat to finding Atlantis, and would deem Captain Gray not a threat either because we have the map and compass." Lanse pointed out.

"Well, suddenly our situation seems even more dangerous than before." Julia was afraid, as well we all were, but we had each other, as well as the support of Gray in tandem with us.

"Let me assure ye all though, as long as I be breathin, I will not let anything happen to any of you. Our friendship be something greater than any ship of power Cap'n Redhook can master." I reassured them. I meant it too, we had been friends through not just many years, but also some quite terrifying moments as of late.

Unbeknownst to us, the _Sea Witch_ had been gaining speed. Her location was secret, so secret in fact, that Captain Redhook killed his own first mate just fer lookin at the charts. The dark perfectly smooth black hull of the _Witch_ glided effortlessly and hastily through the waters, and towered above the seas in a way which still had not been matched by any other ship afloat. Her three rows of guns on both sides, meant she was the best at negotiatin terms, and the pitchfork ended broomstick-like bowsprit reminded all her foes, that she be not one to trifle with.

Captain Gray maintained his close proximity to the proud and mighty _Black Pearl_ which had some grace all her own as well. Traditional sweeping lines, a thick hard experienced hull, and strong sails. Equipped with cannons able to reload faster than any other ship afloat. Together with the pure white _Caroline_, the two ships looked and were, as if on a crusade type of mission. To save a lost city from certain destruction or worse, damnation to Davy Jone's Locker by way of a _Witch. _The sun was just about to drop beneath the vast as of right now at least, calm horizon, and Anthony looked out holding the wheel of his beloved ship. Straining not to blink, he witnessed the green flash, and remembered the few times he had with his father, Will Turner. Me eyes began tearin, and Julia knew exactly what be the matter, and hugged me from behind. Burying her face in me leather warm jacket. Her awesome round, red hat almost fell off from the hug, and I adjusted it fer her.

"Thnak ye miss. Ye never seize to be comfortin me, even when no words be spoken ye know how to make things bettter. It is like," I paused, feeling humble saying it outloud.

"Like what Anthony?" She asked.

"Like your me sister." We both smiled, and Lanse came from assisting some crew with the lines, which had through the movement of the ship, come loose, and almost dumped into the sea. His own piece of 8, his brown belt, aided him in fetchin it back. He looked across at Gray's ship, and could see him walkin around, pacing, as if Gray were troubled by something. Indeed he was.

"Sir, you have been pacin fer almost an hour now, what be the matter with ye?" Hitchens, his first mate concernedly asked.

"If ye must know, I jus be stressed about meetin the largest warship ever built in all the history o Pirates and our ships." Gray continued pacing. He could only imagine the sheer size of that beast.

"Sir we are two in number, surely we can beat him especially with the _Pearl _on our side,"

"Do you know how many cannons she has? 48! 48 on one side! Not to mention the 6 at the bow that make her look like she has eyes, but the three at the stern as well! She has 360 degree firing capability!"

"But sir we have the greatest firin range of any ship afloat, we could attack before they even knew what was out there!" Hitchens pointed out, remembering it just now. This was their only advantage. If they could somehow manage to keep a 2 mile cushion between them and the _Sea Witch,_ they may have a fightin chance. Gray smiled and looked back at the _Pearl._

"Hitchens, ye may jus be the best first mate on the world!" they both laughed, and suddenly, ther was a loud rumble of thunder that echoed throughout all the ocean, and pierced the hearts of the four of us. A storm was coming. The one thing we feared most that had proven in the past could infact separate us. Only this time, it was no mere thunderstorm.

Julia's ring was glowing profusely, and she was mortified that a storm was heading our way, so she walked quickly from side to side of the ship, trying to distract herself, with no such luck.

Another crack of thunder, sharp this time, and down came the rain. With the sun already gone, and a moonless night, there was now even less visibility, the rain having the same affecct as fog plus the natural darkness of night.

"Really rain? That's even more than less than unhelpful," Julia looked up at the pitch dark sky. We lit all our lamps and closed their small doors so that despite rain and wind, they could remain lighting our ship brightly and faithfully. _Caroline_ soon imitated, and we slowed our speed only marginally so as we could maintain control through this terrible rain. Then, the waves picked up and lightning started. Julia screamed with the fisrt crack matched perfectly with the blinding flash of natures electricity.

"Don't worry Julia, it's only a storm, we have managed before we can do it again!" Lanse encouraged. On we sailed, and the rain now falling sideways was dripping from the brim of our hats like waterfalls. Our crew now experienced with mid-Atlantic storms, was calm and knew exactly what to do and how fast to do it. The waves were riding with us this time, so only pitching fiercly up and down occurred. The waves were endless, and every so often the lightning illuminated our next wall of water we had to fight. High the bow of the _Pearl _rose, and then with a moaning sound of the wood hull of our mighty lady bending, fell back down in the sea, with a huge crashing wave that sometimes was strong enough to drench us all.

"I think I'm gonna be sick!" Julia yelled over the wind and rain and thunder. For a moment the waves were sustainable, the bow lifted high above the horizon in perspective, and then crashed back down in a predictable pattern.

Then the lightning flashed once more, and the biggest wave of our entire lives was just feet before us.

"ALL HAND BRACE FOR IMMEDIATE AND HEAVY LISTING! HOLD ON TO THE RAILING DO NOT LET GO!" I ordered with all my lungs could muster, and kept Lanse and Julia at my side, and we all held each other down to the railing as a crewman took the wheel. The bow moaned, not wanting to list this much. Higher and higher we rose, 10 degrees, 20, 30, and rose higher still. Everything loose came thrashing down the decks towards us, some crew tried to stop them from falling but gravity was too strong and drug them with it. The bow of our ship aimed almost straight up at the heavens as Gray watched in horror, he had increased the distance between our hulls to allow for safer passage through the storm. Then the wave had passed us, and the bow began falling freely back to the water. We all screamed as the oak hull moaned, and we felt as if butterflies were in our stomachs, and then with a wave as large as another ship practically, we succeeded in completely drenching Gray with so much water, his ship took on a list aswell, but she soon corrected herself.

"This is insanity!" Julia couldn't believe the size of that wave, it was honestly ridiculous.

"That was a rogue wave, ye should be countin yerself lucky that it didn't strike us sideways," I reported to her. We were starting to loose sight of the _Caroline, _being so focused on makin it through that wave, we forgot about keeping distance with Gray. In the darkness of the night however, we could barely decipher the difference between the white hull, and the foam of other waves crashing in on themselves in the distance.

Where has she gone? Oh my god Anthony we lost the _Caroline _again!" lanse looked all around running to different parts of the deck trying to look at all angles, but found no sight of Gray or his ship.

"Just settle down everyone We'll find him! I will not let him become stranded! We must find our friend, keep searching!" I ordered, and my heart cried worried sick about his safety in this terrible storm. More waves had fun with our ship but as long as we maintained course, they wouldn't damage us. Lightning struck all around and the echoing thunder seemed to accentuate our new found isolation. All of a sudden, Julia's ring shined so brightly, it lit up the whole ship, and began blinking as if it were a lighthouse. Then our ship began shaking, there was something in these waters, gaining on us.

"OH MY GOD ANTHONY! IT'S THE SEA WITCH SHE'S FOLLOWED US HERE!" Lanse and Julia both looked out in front of us as the enormous, 35 foot tall hull of the _Sea Witch _once again soared high, punching through the water surface with her broomstick bowsprit, shooting out tons of water into the air, and exposing the full 250 feet of her length. The three of us stood in absolute terror as the enormous enemy appeared before us. Her four masts unfurled their sails magically, and fish along with other sea creatures of the deep, dripped off them falling back to the water. The three rows of cannons were now illuminated by lamps, and the bridge, a whopping 65 feet in the air at the stern, was now level and she was floating just on our starboard bow. Her dark red sails looked like they were made of blood, and the skeleton adorning the prow of the great monster was covered in sea weed and barnacles. Julia grabbed my hand and held it tightly, she was breathing hard, and I ordered full stop, we waited for the other to make the first move. The _Sea Witch _just sat there, impeding our movement, and Captain Redhook was nowhere to be seen or in this distance, heard of. Lanse stepped slowly closer to me and whispered trying not move his lips too much,

"Don't make any sudden movements and try to be absolutely still, I feel like we're prey at the mercy of a blood thirsty shark, willing to charge as fast as light if we budge." He slowly stood back up straight, and we were so afraid, we could hardly move. Then, our hearts almost stopped when we heard the bone chilling, raspy, and deep toned cackle, coming from right behind us. We all turned around slowly, and standing there with his shining hook, and dark black hat with red feathers, was the notorious Captain Redhook.


	11. Chapter 11

Captain Redhook walked closer to Julia, and then stopped. The lightning flashed in the middle of ever spoken sentence, and the waves were spraying water all over the decks. The rain was heavy and the _Sea Witch _was waiting patiently for her master to return. Captain Gray and his white ship of power were no where to be seen still.

"SO! YE think ye can manage at get to Atlantis before Me self! Well how does it feel to be cut off from your closest friend and ally? You cant possibly stop me now that yer party is minus one. What be your plan fer get through this?" He stepped closer to her, and at the end of his monolgue, was just inches away from her face.

"We have our ways, let tha details be left to our own selves! What have ye got to gain from keeping us seein the lost city?" I interrogated him this time.

"I need not be telling you me plan! Stand aside, and move your quaint vessel out of me way!"

"You'll have to go through me first!" Lanse stepped in front, pulling out his sword, but Redhook had left already, back to his ship. The enormous enemy ship turned hard a starboard, and moved into attack position.

"ALL HANDS BATTLESTATIONS! LOAD THE CANNONS AND PULL HER HARdA STARBOARD!" All the crew knew what to do and in moments, our ship was making full sail again, and listing with the hard turn, trying to face our full broadside to the _Witch_. Julia wanted to beat the living daylights out of Redhook and his ship so she took control of the gun orders.

"She's in range Anthony! Should we fire now?"

"AYE! FIRE!" and with that, Julia repeated the order, and every gun on our starboard side exploded in a thunderous cloud of gunpowder and, launched all our 32 cannon balls flying through the air at the enemy. The first two hit the water with a hissing plume of water shooting upwards. The remaining 30 made direct hit, destroying some of the rail along the top deck, damaging two masts, and all the lamps near the wheel on the stern.

Redhook ducked avoiding the last few cannons from the first fire and looked out at us.

"I WILL NOT HAVE ME SHIP SHOT OUT FROM UNDER ME FEET! FIRE!" Then Julia Lanse and I all stared in overwhelming terror as the _Sea Witch _opened her gun holes, and exposed all of her 48 guns illuminated by the red lanterns inside. They all recoiled a little, and then all together fired, each row in unison, and then the second row fireed, and the third.

"TAKE COVER!" I told everyone, Julia and Lanse and I all went down to our knees worried about debris hurting us possibly. The first row of cannons all missed thank God. The second row however, hit the hull, very hard, and the hole ship shook violently, no compromise yet also good. The last row, took down about ten of the crew, damaged the masts, and completely obliterated the wood railing along the side.

"FIRE AGAIN!" I ordered, and Julia looked up at me from her post near the cannons. She saw my pegleg made of wood from our ship, and smiled a little, remembering his promise to all of them. Then she went back to taking charge and made sure every cannon was reloaded full.

"FIRE WHEN READY! FIRE!" She yelled over the tremendous noise. Then again, all the cannons from bow to stern erupted in an explosion of fury and justice, trying to at least scare away the _Sea Witch_ who had also just finished re-loading for the second act. All our guns made direct hit to the hull, some struck and fell down to the sea with a chunk of wood from the hull, others lodged themselves deep into the thick double skinned ship. Then the cannons from our enemy came to us, unfortunately, every one of theirs made direct hit too. More of our crew had lost limbs in this strike that ever before, and there was oak wood flying all around the air, and our middle crows nest fell to the deck, destroying the wrope ladder that lead up to it. I watched in anger as Redhook I could hear laughed at his first mega hit. The _Pearl _was taking a beating, and I desperately wanted to think of something better.

"Rum! Rum Lanse! If we douse the cannons in rum, maybe the mixture of gunpowder and the explosion of shooting them will combine and cause fire when they hit the _Witch_!" I suggested. Rum we had plenty of so why not use it to our advantage?

"AYE! Fire In it's less common liter sense but why not!" He agreed with my idea and went down and told Julia to order the crew to douse the cannon balls in rum before firing.

Not knowing why, the crew obeyed, and some cried at having to what they thought, was waste of good drink. But after Anthony ordered fire again, they all took it back. His idea was right. The cannons lit up the night storming sky as they soared over to the enemy ablaze! When they hit, this time they struck through the sails, and destroyed the lower decks. Catching all the sails on fire, and lighting some areas on deck as well as their crew too. Everyone on the _Pearl _cheered, if we continued shots like these this would be a very quick battle. We reloaded so fast out of pride and a little excitement, that again we made the same hit in only seconds. Pieces of the _Sea Witch _fell off, and finally one of her anchors broke loose and plunged to the depths. Then he fired again, and this time all our cheering stopped. All of his 48 guns struck at our hull, and our ship listed sharply with the wound, the deck almost hitting the water surface, and then, our bowsprit was shattered, and our rudder was jammed. The flaming _Sea Witch _continued firing at us, and all seemed helpless.

Julia stood up and looked at something racing to the scene. It was another ship. Enormous, almost as big as the _Sea Witch_. She too had red sails, and a huge gilded stern where the captain's quarters were.

"LOOK! It'S QUEEN ANNE'S REVENGE!" she yelled, and again we all cheered, excited that Captain Hector Barbosa had come to our help. His ship was shooting out enormous streams of fire out of the bow, and boiled the water in front of her, aimed for the _Sea Witch_, setting fire to her wooden hull.

"NOOOOOOO! I will be back, and Next time, it'll be your pretty little ship, slippin beneath the waves!" Redhook retreated, going back underwater, and probably going to repair his badly damaged ship. With the water extinguishing the fire, there remained a thick white smoke on the water where just seconds ago, the biggest and most feared ship had been. Luckily though, friends both old and new were able to scare him away. Barbosa pulled his mighty _Queen_ up next to us, and offered his crew to assist in the repairs of our own mighty stead. Barbosa came onboard, and I showed him me own peg leg and we both shared stories. He reminded me that his was lost out of willingness to rather die than surrender command to the enemy.


	12. Chapter 12

Barbosa was about to return to his ship right next to us, but Lanse stopped him. He and Anthony had already talkd about asking Barbosa to help us find Gray.

"Captain Barbosa, we need your help. One of me friends is lost, we haven's seen him in days, and he has no idea where to go." Lanse asked him. Barbosa stopped in his tracks and turned around to face us.

"Does hesail a white ship? An have an owl onboard fer ssendin messages?" Barbosa asked, thinking back about his journey to find us.

"Yes that be him! Where did ya see him?" I asked, hoping his next answer would be good.

"Last I saw him, he was ridin the waves as good as a rock." We all gave confused looks. "Means he may be sunk. But seein as ye all arr so close, I will help ya find him. But don't get yer hopes up, we could not even find him." Barbosa walked across the deck and went back to his own ship, and waited for us to make a move so as he could follow. We were still repairing our ship though. And when all of it was done hours later when the sun started rising, I remembered that our rudder was still jammed. I did not want to put a girl in these troubled waters, and thought that Lanse could handle himself pretty well.

"Lanse, when we be fightin the _Sea Witch_, one of them cannons struck and jammed our rudder, think ye can go down and fix it?"

"Aye, not to worry mate, I'll have that rudder workin in no time!"

I stepped closer to him and gave him a hug and whispered to him,

"Be careful matey, these waters be as black as sin. There's no telling what might be down there with you,"

"Don't you worry Anthony, I will be down take a look and be back before ye can say Atlantis!" Lanse took his big jacket off so he would be able to swim better, and then dived off the back of the bridge, into the freezing cold dark gloomy Atlantic, and searched for the rudder. After a short while, he found it, and saw no signs of damage or anything.

He decided he had to go under, and take a look at the lower half, thinking the cannon may have struck from a high angle, and he was right. Wedged in between both sides of the rudder, were cannons embedded deep into the hull, pinning the rudder in place. He went to the surface and thought about it. Would water start rushing in if he removed the cannons? And then it dawned on him, no, the steering gear is separate from the hull, and designed to be filled with water, without the rudder being exposed through an opening in the hull, how would it turn? SO he went back down, and took a closer look.

Meanwhile, Anthony was pacing back and forth, worried about Lanse, it was starting to feel like a loong time now.

"Anthony, he's a pirate too, don't worry about him. He's got it," Julia told me. She was a little worried too, looking at my pegleg, and remembering how it got here. But she wasn't so worried that she was thinking he may not come back, like Anthony was. And it's not that he didn't have faith in him, just that as a close friend, he didn't like putting him in direct danger.

Back down below where Lanse was, something creepy began.

Lanse was trying with all his might to pull the cannons out, but then something brushed against his leg. Thinking it was probably nothing more than a fish, he continued, and then there was another brush this time two, on his back. Horribly afraid of what he might see, he slowly turned around, and floating absolutely still was an enormous 20 foot long squid, it's tentacles flowing around making it hover in the water. Any sudden movement would set this foe off, and he'd be doomed. SO Lanse slowly pulled out his sword, and then charged forward. HE and the squid wrestled under the _Black Pearl_ for a while, and then Lanse needed air, badly. He tried swimming up towards the surface, but the squid was pulling him down, grabbing onto his foot.

"Ok, Im going down there, something's not right, ye have tha helm lassy!" I left my jacket on the deck and dived down below to find Lanse. The water was freezing cold and I had to re surface to get more air, and when I went back under, Lanse had his eyes closed and was being pulled down by the huge squid. I grabbed Lanse's sword and attacked the squid trying to cut him free, but the squid swam away blocking my swings. I swung at him again and cut of a few tentacles. The monster screamed in pain and sprayed ink out in defense. This ink was different that normal though. It hit Lanse's hand and it immediately turned into glass, and then broke off. Blood started flowing from his arm and I was worried that it might attract sharks. Irritated and now furious that this stupid squid was hurting my best friend, so I swung repeatedly with all my might cutting the squid into bite size pieces and setting Lanse free. I was running low on air, and felt something hit my back. I grabbed Lanse and held him tight in my arms so he wouldn't fall or drop or anything, and swam really hard to get back to the Pearl When I surfaced, I was about 20 feet away from the _Pearl_.

"JULIA! THROW ME A LINE!" I yelled out to her asking for help so she could bring us back onboard, Lanse was in trouble and another fin hit my leg, it was the sharks, they smelled the blood and they lusted for it.

"JULIA NOW!" All of a sudden large wrope landed just a few feet away from me, and I could hear Julia screaming in the distance,

"ANTHONY DON'T STOP SWIMMING THERE'S A SHARK RIGHT BEHIND YOU!" She could see the 4 foot dorsal fin out of the water, and was horrified. I swam as hard as I could and finally grabbed the line, and Julia felt it. She started pulling trying to bring us back onboard but needed help.

"Your Captain and first mate are down there and sharks are coming, HELP ME HEAVE THEM ABOARD RIGHT NOW MATEY!" She rdered five of the crewmen to help her and Me and Lanse were finally raised out of the water. The Shark reached where I was and bit my boot off, and I kicked him in the head with me peg leg.

"TRY AN CATCH ME AGAIN I DARE YA!" I taunted the beast. Julia pulled me up on the deck and I dropped Lanse on the deck in front of Julia blood filling the wood again.

"He be in need of a doctor, right now lassy go!" I was worried about Lanse, and he was breathing, but very slowly, and still wasn't conscious yet. Julia came back with the doctor and I grabbed my jacket from the deck near the wheel, and tied it around his arm to stop the bleeding, which helped but he had already grown very pale from blood loss.

Julia was crying and stressing, and I was startin to tear up me self, this adventure had come at the sacrifice of so much pain and misery, we wer wonderin if now it be worth it. We still had not seen or heard from Captain Gray, and now with Lanse unconscious, didn't feel anything but sorrow for the possibility of loosin two of our brothers. Julia and I followed the doctor to sick bay and I stayed by Lanse every minute waitin fer him ta wake again.

"He's lost a lot of blood, but he be sleepin now. Jus give him time Cap'n, he should be wakin soon." The doctor assured us. Julia and I cried, we wer only teenagers and while the prospect of finding Atlantis was amazing, it wasn't worth the loss of our family like friends. We knew we also couldn't go back either, and so agreed that when Lanse was awake again, we would go and find Gray. Just then, there was a high pitched screeching sound a feathers flapping and fluttering. The tawny messenger owl had returned.


	13. Chapter 13

Anthony really started tearing when he read the message from the Owl in his head. Julia was beyond terrified, and could hardly breath from the painful feeling she felt in her heart. Trying really hard to sound normal through her choking tears,

"What does it say Anthony?" She asked but could already assume the worst.

"It says… It says the storm be too much fer us. We cannot get out. Our masts have broken, my crew imprisoned aboard the _Sea Witch_. Redhook left me to die aboard my ship. Sinkin down by the stern slowly. Tell Julia I will meet her again in a better place, and Lanse that I enjoyed our times as bretheren in trainin. And tell Anthony he be the closest thing to a blood brother I ever be havin. Don't come fer me, I surely be gone by tha time ya reach me." Anthony read it out loud that time, and then just collapsed to the deck and couldn't feel his legs or hear anything around him. Julia came and sat next to me, and with both of us in oceans of tears, hugged tryin unsuccessfully to comfort the other.

A few hours later when we pulled ourselves together, sadness was gone and now a fire in me burned hot and bright, I wouldn't rest until I found Gray and sent,

"THE HORRIBLE _SEA WITCH _AND THE MISERABLE OLD WRETCH REDHOOK TO THE DARKEST DEEPEST DUNGEONS OF DAVY JONES LOCKER!" I stood up and grabbed my sword, and raised it to the sky.

"Who was it that attacked us and brought us on this ill fated mission to start with? Who was it that tried to kill you? WHO WAS IT THAT TRIED TO SINK ME SHIP? WHO HAS MURDERED GRAY?" I rhetorically asked.

"Captain Redhook!" Julia yelled.

"AYE, REDHOOK!" Anthony screamed as he raised his sword to the heavens.

"You don't know if Gray really is dead or not, we just need Captain Barbosa to help us, there is still hope Anthony!" Julia tried to reason and encourage me.

"Right Lassy, Forward and make sail into the abyss!" I ordered full canvas and took the compass from out of my pocket, the arrow now pointing to what I wanted which for now, was to find Gray.

"See? It is pointing to something! Gray is alive!" Julia cheered, and stood by me side.

"Hold on Lassy, we are going to go faster than we ever had before! Signal the _Queen Anne's Revenge_ our intentions and ask for their help!" Julia lit the lamps and then waved the right flags. Barbosa did the same, and followed our suit. In no time we were making full speed. The storm not even affecting us. It was still raining as hard as ever, and now the sun was rising again, and the lightning struck behind them, and the light illuminated the endless scenery of dark blue ocean.

Hours passed, and the sun flew ever higher above the sea, and us.

Julia and I decided to go and check on Lanse again, s we made our way to the medical bay. When we entered the room, the Doctor was there but there was no sign of Lanse.

"Where is he where'd he go?" I asked.

"He's polishing his new hand, see for your self," The doctor moved out of the way and showed us Lanse sitting down with his feet up, polishing not a hook like our enemy, but a cross, like the ones the Christians back in Port Royal used. Lanse saw the doctor had moved and saw me and Julia watching with watery eyes and growing smiles.

"Thank heavens ye be ok matey! Thank goodness." Anthony was absolutely happy that his close friend be ok.

"Ya big lug, don't scare us like that!" Julia sarcastically greeted. We were all too happy to know it, and hugged each other, laughing and celebrating in the moment.

"Lanse, We had a message from that Owl again, Gray may be sinkin, we are on a rescue mission right now, after that, Atlantis be only two days away!" We all ran from there back up to the bridge on the stern.

"How far are we from the _Caroline?"_ Lanse asked as we ran up the stairs to get to the highest deck where the wheel was. Julia ran behind us.

"Not too much farther now, Oh and that be The _Queen Anne's Revenge_, she be helping us now, for good!"

"Aye she be indeed! Let that miserable old hag Redhook try and attack us now!" We all laughed, and Anthony told Lanse how truly relieved nothing permanently bad had happened to Lanse, as did Julia. After a few minutes, Barbosa screamed to us,

" THAR SHE BE MATEYS!" But it was not a happy scream. The scene of carnage was horrifying, and bone chilling knowing that our friend was among this rubble. The _Caroline_ was burning, and snking down by the stern. As we watched in horror, the masts fell down, and cracked the deck, and fell into the sea. The sails draped all over it in a mess of tangled lines. Then the ship made her final plunge.

"Hats off gents," I ordered our crew and Julia to give respect to a noble lady now dying. The _Caroline_'s bow rose higher towards the sky, pointing up at the heavens, and dramatically moaning with the bending wood hull in pain. Then the greeat ship broke her back, and the bow came crackling and crashing down to the sea, sending the stern promptly down to the depths. The bow capsized, and then sunk after. I was in shock, so no tears had come out yet, and the search for Gray had begun. There was debris from that poor great ship everywhere, and I went out on one of the _Pearl's _dinghies looking for him. For a while, I saw nothing but floating chunks of wood, and other things.

Barbosa went out on his own dinghy and followed me, again offering his assistance in finding him.

"Thank ye Captain" I said, still hopeful to find him. That sinking looked pretty dreadful. I thought about it, and came to the conclusion that he had definitely been attacked by the _Sea Witch_, and lost. Which is why we never wanted to be separated in the first place. Then, Barbosa stood up.

"There in the distance do ya see him Anthony? " We approached the man in shock, not really understanding what was happening. Barbosa pulled the guy aboard and gave him some water.

"What be your name matey? Arr ya the one some call Gray? Or are you an otherwise downtrod lad whose ship just happened to look exactly like the one we be lookin for?" Barbosa asked in his own way, and I couldn't help but chuckle a bit at that. The man opened his eyes, and mumbled.

"Yes, I am Gray, I tried to get back to the _Pearl_ I knew he'd be after Anthony and his ship next, but fire, so much fire, and ice…" Gray fell back asleep, and Barbosa and I rowed back to our ships.

"Here, ye take this lad, he's your friend, and I be missin any doctor aboard me own ship."

"Thank you Barbosa, please if you would, please continue helping us, next we need to find Atlantis an I be willin to bet that Redhook will be wantin another re-match."

"Aye, he will indeed. An we will give him the biggest brawl the seas had ever seen! Ahahahahahaha!" We shook hands, and then parted ways. I brought Gray aboard our ship, and everyone was gloriously happy that he was ok, and not dead. We mourned the loss of his crew and ship, but thanked our blessings that Gray was ok. After a lot of sighing and an overwhelming sense that this had all just begun, the three of us had a meeting to discuss the rest of the plan. We stuck to the map, and agreed to let whatever way be that to take us down to Atlantis. Julia's ring shined as bright as the sun, and we didn't know if it meant we were about to reach Atlantis, or if the _Sea Witch_ had returned, but none of it mattered. We had each other, and more than that, we had all survived sharks, sea battles, flying jellyfish, ancient squid minions of the lost city, and storms that would make the bravest seaman skiddish. We had one thing that Redhook never had, and that missing thing is the true reason why he was banished from Atlantis.


	14. Chapter 14

The next night, Gray woke up, he was given new clothes and the hat remained the same, because most of his old clothes were burned or otherwise ruined from the disaster. He walked out on deck and looked for Anthony Lanse and Julia.

"Hey, why did ye come and find me, I thought I told ye not to go looking fer me?" Gray said. We knew he wasn't serious, and that he was touched we put ourselves in danger to save him.

"We're friends, Gray, why wouldn't we do that for ye?" I replied, and smiled. By the next afternoon, we were sailing North East, following the compass, and heading straight for wherever Atlantis may be. The storms had finally cleared, and it was a very unusually calm, day. The _Pearl _for the first time, was sailing making full canvas, with out the _Caroline. _Instead, the _Queen Anne's Revenge_ took the position. Barbosa commanded his ship, and together we were unstoppable. Our combined guns exceeded that of the _Sea Witch_ not to mention the special ability of the _Queen._ Anthony kept looking at the compass. The needle pointing "north" was starting to rotate in all directions. It would do that, and then point in one direction. Julia saw me puzzled lok, and felt the constant course changes, so she walked over to me to take a look for her self.

"Is it happening? Remember I told you when we reach Atlantis, the compass would spin all over the place, because Atlantis is beneath us," Julia inquired.

"Aye lassy, it be startin. But how do we get down there? I know that the map be sayin a malestrom would come, but it can't just randomly appear right?" Anthony answered. He was confused about how to get to Atlantis exactly.

"Only those who have the crystal are able to enter the city remember? Well, I am on this ship, and I have the crystal. Don't you be worryin Anthony, you'll get down there. It's not finding Atlantis thas the problem, it's getting back!" Julia walked over to the edge of the deck and bent over watching the bow wave, and feeling the salty foamy ocean spray her and the refreshing warm sea breeze fill her hair.

The compass stopped spinning for a bit, and continued pointing us in one direction. Then again a few hours later, it went right back to spinning.

Well, the compass was doing that spinning thing all day long, and at midday it refused to stop spinning.

"Anthony, we're here." Julia declared. I looked at the compass, and then at the sea, and then at her.

"We're here, we made it, ATLANTIS FINLLY BE DISCOVERED BY THE MIGHTY _Black Pearl, _AND HER IMPECCABLE CREW! SIGNAL THE _QUEEN_ ATLANTIS BE RIGHT UNDERNEATH US!" The crew heard me screamin in excitement, and everyone cheered loudly as we had finally made it to where the compass said Atlantis would be. Gray came up to me along with Lance, and they encouraged the cheering crew to do it louder, the happiness was everywhere, it was so thick in the air you could taste it!

"Cheers mates! To Atlantis!" Gray made a toast with rum of course.

"Aye, and to the _Black Pearl,"_ Lance added.

"Aye, and lastly to her incredible Captain, and our own brother," Julia added. I blushed in the dear compliment, and said thank you.

"An to me first mate, Captain Gray and Julia, I could not be alive if it were not for you," They all smiled, and I gave them a big hug. Then, Julia's ring began glowing and we remembered what the map said. "Swirl around, plunder the deep". What happened next, scared all of us beyond imagination. In the midst of this wondrous achievement and celebration thereof, the weather immediately turned to pitch black. The waves were flat calm, and there was nothing being said. Anthony called for everyone to be quiet, and the four of us went to the starboard side to watch for anything, out of the ordinary.

"Julia, in thee map, it be reading swirl around plunder tha deep, what summons this malestrom?" I asked her, horribly afraid.

"Well, it's like what Redhook said. If someone has an Atlantis crystal, then you can reach it, if not then you won't be able to find it."

"And your ring is the crystal, aye or nay?"

"Aye, it be indeed, so now we wait." Just then, one of the crew members screamed, as an enormous hole in the water not a ship's length in front of us formed.

"SIR, MALESTROM OFF THE STARBOARD BOW!" everyone rushed to the side rails to take a look. Just beyond our reach was this rumbling in the deep water, and huge airbubbles came to the surface creating this loud hissing of foam and collapsing seas in a large circualar shape. Lanse ran back to the helm.

"MAKE FULL CANVAS EVERYONE MOVE MOVE! MAN HER HARD A STARBOARD!" Lanse quickly ordered maneuvers to save the ship from this hole, but Anthony insisted to the opposite.

"Belay that order! LET her RUN STRAIGHT AND TRUE!" Lance just looked at me worriedly, and then out in front, the water swirled around in some sort of ocean made tornado of sorts, that sucked in towards it, and as we got closer, Julia's ring became brighter, and more of a solid color than just a light.

"Julai, this hole leads to tha lost city does it not?" Lanse asked, and she nodded, watching the seas get darker and swirling faster, creating a steady hissing noise from the spray and foam of these new vortex currents.

As we reached the edge of the hole, everyone screamed in horror.

"ALL HANDS BRACE FOR IMMEDIATE AN HEAVY FALLING! HOLD ON!" I ordered. Julia, Gray Lanse and I all stood together, holding onto the wheel and each other, as the bow of the _Pearl _began dipping downwards into the dark abyss.

"Here we go lads," I said to them.

"Oh my gosh, IT DOESN'T END!"Julia watched over the bow as it not really sank, as there was no water infront of us, just this empty vacum that was a one way trip to Atlantis. It was very frightening, as we were not certain if we would take damage from reaching the bottom or not.

At the last second, when from all around us the only part of our ship visible to Barbosa was the captains quarters, and full length rudder, we fell through.


	15. Chapter 15

The _Black Pearl_ fell through the enormous gaping hole in the sea, and everyone screamed for their lives, except Julia. Somehow she knew nothing would come of this, but it didn't stop her from holding on to the ships' rails for dear life. The farther down we went, the less light there was from the sun, and now the hole was re-filled with the ocean water. At first we all held our breaths but Julia motioned with her ring pointing at her throat. Through bubbles and the muffled affect of speaking underwater, Julia tried telling me,

"It's ok, breath!" I forgot that she was the Chosen One from Atlantis's legends and prophesies, meaning that she was meant to come down here and we were all meant to bring her there. In which case, we would be able to breathe underwater. I wasn't scared anymore. We were still falling which did scare me, but other than that, we had nothing to fear because our greatest threat was no longer real. Now we had to worry about our ship destroying upon impact with the ocean floor…

The last possible second we had to avoid eminent collision, Julia walked over to the side, desperately trying to stay on the steeply inclined deck, and put the finger that had the ring on, near the hull, and we gently stopped inches from the bottom. I looked up and couldn't see the surface. Fish of all different colors and sizes were swimming everywhere. In the distance, I could see a definite blue glow. The same hue as Julia's ring, and was far away so we couldn't see the structure of a city just yet, only the light from it's magic. The _Pearl_ slowly as if she too were afraid, followed the direction of the blue light gliding in between seabed and water surface. We made only about 100 leagues distance, when we arrived at the City Gates. Enormous rusty, barnacle encrusted wrought iron gates that looked painful if touched. Guarding both sides of this gate were natives. Or, what we assumed were natives. The left side was half man, half octopus, the other guard was half man, half lobster. Each of them had the same crystal around their necks as Julia had on her hand. At first we couldn't understand them, and Julia hid her ring underneath the cuff of her jacket sleeve. Lanse Gray and I watched in awe as Julia made no effort in communicating with them. After the three of us exchanged looks of shock and intrigue, the half man half octopus bowed his human head, and opened the gate. The _Pearl_ entered of her own accord. When we made it through the gates, the city showed it's self to us. An ancient Greek/Roman style architecture it had. Enormous stone columns holding up triangle roofs, and long corridors. Others had spherical domes made of coral and jems. Placed throughout the City were statues of past Kings of the city carved out of the Crystal. Others still were made of shipwreck's anchors, and the center, obviously the Palace, was a surface scraper if you will. It was the tallest, made of the same blue crystal as the ring, and had gold tridents serving as flag poles at the top of the two steaples. Lanse and I were impressed. Cap'n Gray looked around and didn't see no one.

"Aye this be something special, but where be the natives?" His question was answered when our ship was stopped by a group of mermaids. I stepped forward and interjected me self.

"Beggin yer pardon miss, do ye speak English? We are explorers from above. We come in peace, and wish no harm or intrusion upon you or yer neighbors." They looked at me and me crew unblinking. They wanted to believe me but didn't yet. I pulled Julia towards them, and showed her ring glowing profusely.

"We be in possession of a mighty special person among us. She be the chosen one. To release you all from yer submerged bonds." The sea creatures looked at each other and then one of them who was especially beautiful swam closer. Their form was unidentifiable, apart from their upper half, they were the stark warm beauty of women.

"You, you are Julia? Daughter of Eve?" She asked.

"Yes that is me name, we came looking for adventure and discovery but our journey was intercepted by a terrible Pirate Captain,-" Julia was interrupted. The native woman swam right up to her face, with her changing color hair flowing iin the deep water.

"Name him!"

"Redhook. Captain Redhook of the _Sea Witch_. He tried to kill us all, more than once. He sunk our friend's ship, and sent an Army of Sharks that gave me Captain and brother a pegleg. And gave our first mate a cross fer a hand," Julia reported. My wound hurt just then, remembering that moment when I became one legged.

"And you did not fall to him?"

"No, we have too strong a ship crew and Captain to fall to him,"

"That wretch attacked us ages ago. He was rightfully banned by our King. But, he did not want to go. He made us pay. Mothers, children, grandparents, members of the Court, all burned to death from his _Witch_ ship!" The creature burst into tears, telling us she used to be a wife and mother, but now, lives widowed with her sister under the protection of the King.

"Can ye bring us to him? We have many questions, an we think we can be of service, to finish the job he wanted to start all those years ago," I asked. The female fish creature nodded yes, and swam towards the Gold door to the palace, and it opened magically before us. Gray swam behind, making sure no one else followed, and then closed the door. Lanse and Julia swam behind me, and were overwhelmed by the immensity and grandeur of the Ocean Palace.

"He waits beyond that coral door, I cannot follow." The Mermaid swam away, and the four of us agreed to let Julia do the talking unless we had something important or otherwise useful to say that she didn't.

The door opened, and at the seat of the crystal and gold and coral made throne, was the King of Atlantis himself. Human man, except for his lower half. He was part man, part merman. He had long red hair, and carried an enormous golden trident. But the shaft was half coral, and the center prong on the trident, was the crystal again. I motioned for us all to bow when he turned around, showing us his crown made of coral, studded with the crystal. Furious, he slammed his trident on the floor shaking the ground and roared, moving his tail out in front of him,

"WHY HAVE YOU FOUR COME! WHAT IS YOUR REASON FOR DISTURBING OUR PEACE?"

"Your Majesty, we come in peace, and only be seekin discovery of yer great and noble kingdom," I remained bowing, and pulled Gray's collar down makin him remain bowin as well. I told him about Redhook, our ships, and our injuries.

"REDHOOK? HOW IS THAT MAN STILL ALIVE? I WANT HIM DEAD AND SENT TO THE LOCKER FOR ALL ETERNITY!" The King of Atlantis was also very upset that his people still lived in fear of that wretched man who despite being banished was still terrorized. We told him we had a new friend who promised to finish the job when we return to the surface.

"I see. Who is this girl you have brought with you?" I nudged Julia to speak for herself, and she stood up.

"I am Julia Sparrow Your Seaness, I have reason to believe I am the Chosen One. The one to break this great City from it's chains and set it back on the map where it belongs. The King was not convinced.

"Prove it to me." Julia extended her hand and showed him her ring, which was glowing. He put the end of his trident next to her ring and comapared the crystals. They were exactly the same."

"How did you get that?"

" I was training to become a Pirate Captain under the Codex, and when I received my Piece of Eight, I was given an opal ring. But when we began our voyage after I met Redhook, my ring hasn't stopped glowing like this." The King kneeled and kissed her hand and held it with both of his.

"Thank you for coming. If you can defeat that corrupted and hell soaked Redhook, I will grant you all one miracle each, and you can return whenever you wish. If you cannot, I will have you all imprisoned her forever as tyrannical imposters and witch crafters of your own. Do we have a deal?"

"Yes," We all agreed, and signed a gold contract with him using the ink of a squid

And if we achieve this, I promise to save the City of Atlantis from it's hiding, and send this City to a new Age of life." Julia promised the King. We all bowed once more, and returned to our ship. Waiting there, was the _Sea Witch_, aiming her cannons at the Palace.


	16. Chapter 16

The King of Atlantis swam out of his castle to go on about his daily obligtions, but when he saw the four of us frozen still looking at the _Sea Witch_, he had to intervene. He appeared aboard the ship, right behind Captain Redhook, and remained still. Cap'n Redhook turned around to go somewhere else, but the King stood in his way, holding his trident ready for killing.

"WHEN LAST I CHECKED, EXILE MEANT YOU ARE NEVER ALLOWED TO RETURN!" The King roared through the deep, and pinned Cap'n Redhook with the prongs of the Trident to the side of his ship.

"WHEN LAST I CHECKED, _I _BE THE MOST POWERFUL PIRATE CAPTAIN! NOT YOU! NOW UNHAND ME AND GET OFF MY SHIP!"

"YOU WERE A TREACHEROUS AND VILE BEING, KILLING MY PEOPLE FOR NO REASON, AND HORDING THE POWER OF THE CRYSTAL FOR YOUR OWN SELFISH LUST!"

"YOU ARE A LAZY MISERABLE EXCUSE FOR A KING, IT TOOK YOU HOW LONG TO FINALLY GET RID OF ME? You see? Ye pretend to be good, but yer no better than me self!" Cap'n Redhook laughed to himself, and then the King released his trident from pinning him to the ship.

"HOW LONG DO YA THINK IT WILL TAKE ME TO KILL YOU?" Just before the King stabbed Redhook with his trident, Anthony yelled,

"STOP! Sire, if you please, it would give me great pleasure to kill off this wretched useless man me self. He caused all the people I care about most, harm." The King calmed down for a eecond, and allowed me to proceed. I drew me sword, and the King pointed his crystal and gold Trident at me sword giving it magical power for only one strike. Lanse and Gray held Redhook down as he tried to run away, and I pointed me shining blade right at the thug's heart.

"Captain Redhook, do ye fear death!" I quoted Davy Jones, that deceased feared Pirate from a while ago. Redhook replied yes, and I lunged me blade straight into Redhook's stomach, and he bled profusely all over the deck. His crew of cursed betrayers of the City as well, died and exploded in a small cloud of smoke. Then, Rehook's body fell off the trident and onto the deck. The Ship, floated back to the surface, and burst into flame. While on fire, the ship went down by the head, and then capsized at a high angle with the rudder out of the water, and then while sideways, broke in half, and sank to the bottom, of the trenches nearby.

A few moments later, Lanse's cross in place of a right hand, turned back to normal.

"HEY! I got me hand back! HUZZAH!" Lanse smiled and cheered as he admired his original hand again.

Julia noticed that her ring continued glowing, and now was entirely the crystal, not just shiny anymore.

Then, Anthony's wooden peg leg fell off, and at first everyone thought I was in pain, but instead, I was cheering.

"ME LEG IS BACK! IT BE A MIRACLE GENTS!" Again we all cheered, and then The King came back down to us from where he was a few moments ago, and told us that with the death of that bewitched old man, all the wrong deeds he had done, were now corrected. Gray was the only one who did not have something new happen to him, and we all remembered that the King promised one miracle for us each.

"Your Majesty, I remember what ye said about miracles if we got rid of Redhook, which we did so if you please, I be wantin something now," Gray asked. The King looked at him and scratched his chin.

"You want your ship back. The _Caroline_ I believe was her name? Done. When you all re-surface, she will be waiting for you." Cap'n Gray thanked him while bowing his head, and then the King showed us to a room we all could use to stay in for as long as we needed. We all sometimes forgot we were under the Sea, because we could talk, hear, walk, and fight thank to Julia being the chosen one to free Atlantis…

The Next night, the four of us were sitting on our beds in our chamber, and we were all discussing what to do next and how to go about accomplishing it. And further, when we can begin going home. It has been three years since we left Shipwreck Cove.

"Well, Redhook is finally dead, our injuries are mended, Gray has his ship back, so I think the only thing left, is to free Atlantis." Julia answered.

"But how in Neptune's name do we do that?" Lanse asked. Just then, there was a knock on our door. We heard the noise of hundreds of little legs scurrying across the floor outside our door, and wondered who was coming. The wind picked up and almost blew off our hats. The lights flickered, and finally blew out in a smell of sulfur and ash.

"I'll get it, jus keep talkin, I can hear ye," And when I answered the door, there was a woman I recognized to be Tia Dalma standing, holding and petting a white crab.

"Tia Dalma, I mean, Calypso, what brings ye here to our chamber?"

"You want to save this city, but you don't know how" She answered.

"So you can help us do this? What do we need to do to bring the City back?" Julia asked, as they all stood up giving her their full attention.

"A touch, of destiny," She looked right into Julia's eyes, and she knew something kinda bad was needed.

"What do you mean Calypso?"

"You cannot return to the world you knew before. Ye must stay with Atlantis, when you do, the City will return to it's rightfull home."

"So, I have to stay with them forever, and how does that save Atlantis?"

The Crystal you are wearing, is made of all the crystals Redhook took. When you stay with Atlantis, you are returning the lost pieces of the heart of the city. Then they will be saved."

All of us realized the sincerity of this act, letting Julia stay here, forever, sacrificing her self so the city and it's people can be saved. But what we didn't realize, was that the moment Julia agrees to stay, the city vanishes, and the people now at peace with everything, can pass on to a better world, beyond our own comprehension. In short,

they die.

Calypso left the room, and then the four of us discussed what just happened. Gray brought up the point about Julia having to sacrifice herself in order to save the people.

"Ye realize what that means, do you not? She and the rest of the people here will die. That's what she means by save the people." we thought about it for a second, and then we knew.

"No, no I will not go home with out you Julia, I will not allow you to do this!"

"Anthony, I don't have a choice! I have to do this,"

"NO! No you can't do this!" I began crying a little, and Lanse and Gray came over to calm me down.

"Anthony, ye heard what Calypso said, a touch of destiny, this is it. You must go on, her time has come," Gray told me.

"But it's not good bye forever, you know that to be true," Lanse assured me.

"I will always remember you Anthony, and as yer sister, you'll always have a part of me in your heart,"

Anthony gave Julia a hug, and then we all hugged each other. The rest of the night we stayed up, talking about old times we spent together. All the times we laughed, smiled, cried, and were horrified for the safety of the other. But whatever the time we talked about, all of them had one thing in common. Love. Not as in romantic and lustful, just as a very close family. Somehow we were all connected in our blood with one another. We wouldn't let anything happen to each other, even if it meant the loss of limbs. The next morning, We agreed that we would have the moment of truth. Julia told us that the next day, she would say she agrees to stay, to let us go home, and save the city.


	17. Chapter 17

The next morning, the four of us were all very sad. We had been through so much together, only together, and now, we were loosing our youngest sibling. There were tears of course, on everyone's eyes, weather they wanted to admit it or not, we all knew it was the end of an era for us. We all said our goodbyes, and then decided to walk together to the King's throne room.

"Let this be the final chapter in the life and times of the four most loyal and bad ass pirates the Oceans 'ave ever seen," I told them. We all agreed and held hands walking slowly and still crying, not wanting to give up Julia, but knowing it was always her destiny. We entered the King's throne room, and he was sitting down looking at his Trident.

"What can I do for you all? I want to thank you Anthony, for freeing my people of that horrid man."

"Think nothing of it me lord," I replied. I gave Julia one last hug, and then let her step forward.

"Sire, King of Atlantis, I Julia Sparrow, daughter of Captian Jack Sparrow, hereby agree to fullfill the prophecy, and to put the city of Atlantis at peace. You have done your duty long ago, you may rest now," And with that, the King told us to quickly and immediately run back to the _Black Pearl _for in moments, the entire city would vanish forever. I gave Julia my pirate ring, a large blue gem on a silver band, and then had to rush Lanse and Gray to safety. That was the last time I ever saw her. She waved to me, and as the light slowly became so white and bright we could barely see, I blacked out. We all did. I had just made it to the deck when I blacked out, and for a while I felt maybe I was dead. But then I saw a light, in the distance, and a blond girl walking towards it. She spoke to me. I couldn't understand what she said, but somehow I knew she crossed over, to the other side, Paradise, Heaven, whatever you may call it, somehow I knew. When I woke up, we were on the surface again. Everything was back to normal, and Gray boarded his beautiful resurrected ship the _Caroline_. Lanse and I enjoyed our re-born limbs, and then we were saddened again. There was just one person missing, Julia. I noticed it was just a few moments until either sunrise, or sunset, I didn't know which, and watched unblinkingly looking for the green flash, if I saw one, I knew Julia was in the best place in the world.

"What do ya see Cap'n?" lanse asked, then he too stared out to the distance.

"Just wait, I want to see" I replied. And ever so slowly, the sun sank beneath the waves. I almost turned, when in the last second, a flash of green shot out from where the sun had been, and Lanse knew exactly what I was looking out there for now. We both smiled looking out at the horizon, and then went back to our duties, the voyage home would be quicker sailing with the current this time. Then, as if we had not experienced enough turmoil, something went wrong, The crew ran to the port side and watched in awe and fear as the sea bubbled and foamed in front of us. I could hear the organ being played on the bridge of the ship known more affectionately as, _The Flying Dutchman_. Commanded by William Turner, me father, he sailed in tandem with us back to Shipwreck Cove, and Lanse and I told him all about our journey and how Barbosa saved our skins from imenint destruction. And about Julia and the heroic selfless thing she did for Atlantis.

"So now you know there was a girl named Julia Sparrow. And that she saved them, in every way that a person can be saved. And that she was the most dear and loving and strong sibling, a friend, that we had ever met," Anthony finished. Lanse held a glass of rum, and made it into a toast for her,

"Here here!"

Anthony had achieved what he set out to do. He became Captain, acquired the perfect ship, the best noble crew, and found the lost city. He knew none of it could be done with out his friends of course, but was glad that we were all ok still. We will always remember Julia, in our future endeavors, as Julia, Grand Dame of the Seas.


End file.
